We all experience pain. But pain is also a very personal experience, which can differ from day to day, person to person. No one knows your pain, how it feels to you – and how disruptive it can be – better than you do. Your treatment plan should be designed to best target your pain, and it should fit your personal pain experience as well. The bottom line is getting relief so that your quality of life is improved. Fortunately, CBD can help.
A whopping 60% of CBD users report that they are using CBD for pain. While it’s not an approved pain medicine, it can be a helpful part of a pain management plan, especially if your CBD product contains other ingredients for pain relief. CBD is non-habit forming, has few and mild side effects, and is a more natural way to find relief — all attractive qualities for pain sufferers.
To help you learn more about using CBD for pain relief, today we’re discussing:
- What you need to look for when choosing CBD products for pain
- The best CBD for pain relief products – topical, oral, or both?
- Pointers on using CBD pain relief products most effectively
A Quick Intro to CBD Molecules
CBD is one of the molecules we can extract from the cannabis plant. No, it’s not the same thing as marijuana, though many people are confused about how CBD works. To explain, some cannabis plants are naturally lower in intoxicating molecules (THC) and are labeled hemp. These plants offer us dozens of different molecules, called cannabinoids, which offer some pretty stellar benefits, especially when used in combination with one another. A good CBD for pain product will contain a blend of these cannabinoids for a more well-rounded plant profile.
Does CBD Help Pain?
Though early studies do show great promise for CBD and pain applications, there’s still so much about pain that can differ from person to person. Plus, a lot goes into formulating the most effective CBD products. Some are geared towards sleep, others for calm, and yes, some of them target pain relief – but these products also have a wide variety of benefits that overlap.
As an example, you may take CBD for sleep at night and realize you’ve been feeling better in the morning with less pain. CBD benefits can include making you feel more calm and get better sleep at night, both of which may help reduce your pain. Plus, some CBD products contain other pain-fighting ingredients to provide more support.
Creating a Pain Management Plan With CBD
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to CBD and pain management. Be open, be willing to try a few different things, and be willing to take the time needed to observe how those products help you.
Let’s say you have an achy knee that’s keeping you from going on those hikes that you love. Clearly, without some kind of pain management and support, your hiking days are limited – or worse, they’re over. Obviously, your first step is to see your doctor to help you develop a pain management path to relief for your painful knee. (Be sure to ask your doctor if CBD can help and if it’s OK to take with your medications.)
If you choose to try CBD for relief, your pain management with CBD could look like any of these scenarios:
- One CBD product, like a topical cream for your achy knee. Rub it on a few times a day, particularly before bed and before and after you go for a hike.
- An internal CBD tincture you take each day, plus a CBD cream for your knee. The oral CBD products help to stabilize your body while the cream or roll-on goes right on your knee.
- A combination of CBD products plus other holistic methods like a regular yoga practice to help strengthen your legs and knees.
- A combination of CBD products plus medical care. Your doctor may recommend medications, orthopedic care, physical therapy, knee surgery, or a combination of those.
- Physical support like a knee brace or walking stick to provide extra support while you hike.
CBD Quality Is Important
Much like any other thing you purchase to put in or on your body, the quality of the CBD matters. From the soil to the final product, each step must have high standards.
U.S. Grown and High Testing Standards
Quality begins with the growers out in the field, working to produce the highest-quality hemp possible. Then comes harvesting, extraction, and all of the work in the lab which isolates the various cannabinoids and incorporates them into CBD oil formulations for different products. Next is a battery of in-house and third-party testing to be sure each batch is uniform, consistent, high-quality, and compliant with federal laws that mandate the amount of THC allowed in any finished CBD product.
Let's be clear: Purchasing high-quality CBD products is the first step in using CBD for pain.
Because the CBD industry isn’t largely regulated at this level, it’s super important to use CBD for pain products from companies that operate with the highest manufacturing standards. Here’s how cbdMD does it best:
- cbdMD only uses premium USA-grown hemp. In the US, organic growing standards are more strict from the soil up. This keeps the products more pure and natural for the best CBD products that US soil can grow. (Plus, we love supporting US farmers.)
- We work to consistently improve formulations, not to win the awards (though they are nice), but to provide the most innovative CBD products that do what they promise – improve your life.
- We use rigorous in-house testing and independent, third-party, ISO-certified lab testing practices for each batch of cbdMD’s products to ensure quality, consistency, and purity.
- Transparency: We publish our results (the COAs) right on our website.
Also, we don’t leave you wondering and confused about how CBD works and how you can get the most out of your CBD experience, etc. Our blog is filled with just about everything you’ve ever asked or wanted to know about CBD.
CBD Strength
Once you’ve chosen for quality, then take a look at the strength of the products. You’ll need products strong enough to help, but since there is so much to choose from, you may need a little guidance on selecting the right strength.
For oral CBD products, the strength is listed in terms of milligrams per bottle. The number of milligrams per serving may also be written on the packaging, but you can also calculate this by dividing the total number of milligrams of CBD in the bottle by the number of servings per bottle.
CBD tinctures, softgels, and tablets vary from 1500 mg per bottle all the way up to an impressive 7500 mg. Choose the CBD strength based on your body size and metabolism as well as your need for relief. For first time users, you may want to start with a lower strength and work your way up to a higher strength, which can help you to avoid some of the minor side effects you may experience when first taking CBD.
Topical CBD products also come in different strengths, but you won’t need to consider the side effects you may experience with oral CBD products. Choose the strength based on the levels of your pain and what you think you’ll need. Strengths range from 750 mg to 3000 mg for the topical Freeze CBD roll-on with arnica and menthol and 750 mg to 1500 mg for the CBD Recover cream with histamine dihydrochloride, arnica, and MSM.
TFR-04-1500,TIT-04-0750
Ingredients That Partner With CBD for Pain Relief
Choosing the right high-quality and effective CBD for pain products, then learning how to use them properly, is all a part of developing the perfect pain management regimen that works for you and helps support your active life. But CBD isn’t the only ingredient to keep your eye on in a really good CBD product that helps relieve your pain. Let’s take a look at what other ingredients can help make you more comfortable.
Topical CBD Products
- Arnica – An extract from the sunflower family (Asteraceae) used to help with joint comfort
- Menthol – Helps with localized minor aches and pains
- Histamine dihydrochloride – Helps with pain relief and improves blood flow
- MSM – Supports flexibility and helps relieve soreness
Oral CBD Products
- Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – Delta 9 THC, specifically, the most natural and abundant form of THC. Including THC in the formulation is important when considering CBD for pain. The THC amplifies the efficacy of other cannabinoids. In addition, the THC relaxes the body, thus helping your overall comfort. THC also supports your sleep, which is important for reducing pain.
- Univestin – cbdMD MAX for pain products contain Univestin, which is an herbal blend of Chinese skullcap and acacia clinically proven to reduce joint discomfort, improve joint health, and increase flexibility and mobility, all of which can make you more comfortable.
Using Your CBD for Pain Products
Always follow the packaging instructions for the CBD products that you buy. Consistent use is also helpful, as this gives your body a steadier supply of CBD either orally or directly to the affected area. CBD takes a little time to begin showing you those consistent results, but you may have some relief right away.
For oral products we recommend taking CBD twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. If you prefer only to take it once a day, then you may do that as well. Whatever works best for you.
You can add in extra products during high-pain parts of your day, in addition to taking a regular regimen of CBD. For example, you may take CBD tinctures every morning and night, but your knee always hurts after your long commute home, especially after a busy day at work. When you get home you could rub your knee with CBD cream supplemented with extra ingredients for targeted relief.
Moving Forward with Less Pain
Talk with your doctor about your pain. Share with them that you want to take CBD as part of your pain management and get their advice. Your doctor can help decide what’s best for your body given your current health, family history, and the medications and supplements you are currently taking.
Also, follow cbdMD’s blog which can help you to learn more about how CBD for pain products work, how to use them properly, and the best CBD product for pain guides to help you to live better and feel better.