CBD’s Role in Arthritis and Sports Injuries Treatment

As cannabis becomes legal in more countries, the discussion of its medicinal uses continues to grow. In particular one of the primary cannabinoids found in hemp, cannabidiol (or CBD), has shown promising potential in treating a number of conditions, including sports injuries and arthritis. But what exactly is CBD and how does it work?

What Is CBD?
CBD is one of over 100 naturally occurring chemical in cannabis plants. However, in order to obtain large amounts of CBD, it first has to be gathered in the resign glands of cannabis flowers (called trichomes). At this stage, the cannabinoid is called CBDa, or cannabidiolic acid, which is the acid-precursor to CBD.

In order to break down the acid form to get CBD, either heating or ageing of the CBDa has to occur.

Once you have CBD oil, this is what normally gets infused into a base – such as organic, extra-virgin olive oil – to create CBD drops (or tincture).

What Are the Effects?
Research has recently focused on how CBD can treat arthritis and sports injuries, both of which may involve painful inflammation. Studies show promise in the successful treatment of these conditions. The painkilling aspect of CBD is especially attractive given the danger of opioids, as CBD isn’t addictive.

Here are some recent studies from Medical News Today:

• A 2011 study found that CBD helped to reduce inflammatory pain in rats by affecting the way that pain receptors respond to stimuli.
• A 2014 review of the existing body of research concluded that CBD may be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis.

• A 2016 study found that the topical application of CBD had the potential to relieve pain and inflammation associated with arthritis.

• A 2017 study found that CBD might be a safe and useful treatment for osteoarthritis joint pain.

How Does It Work?
Cannabinoidsmimic certain neurotransmitters, which deliver information between the body and brain. CBD in particular functions like neurotransmitters related to pain, fitting into receptors and thereby decreasing the number of neurotransmitters sending the “pain” message. It similarly interacts with receptors that trigger the inflammation immune response.

CBD basically acts as a binding agent that blocks certain compounds in the body that trigger pain receptivity, thus, helping reduce inflammation in the brain, central nervous system and throughout the body.

Why Choose Topical Over Oral Treatment?
CBD can be administered in several ways:

• Oil swallowed and/or absorbed under the tongue
• Oils, creams or lotions applied topically

While oral ingestion was the standard for some time, its effectiveness is inhibited by first pass metabolism. Substances taken orally are subject to the digestive system, which means they are naturally filtered by the liver before being absorbed. This decreases the amount of active components that actually affect the body.

Studies have shown that topical application bypasses this issue by being absorbed directly through the skin. The results show a more effective treatment of symptoms experienced locally, significantly reducing pain and inflammation.

Circle Labs is dedicated to providing CBD products to those who need them. Learn more or purchase products here.