Tag: cbd for pain

How Can CBD Help Senior Citizens?

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This article by Madeleine Taylor was originally published on SundayScaries.

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Cannabis-based products like medical marijuana have been getting more and more attention since Canada legalized marijuana in October 2018 year. While the healing drug from the cannabis plant is already legal in countries like Uruguay, Canada’s decision to make marijuana legal has pushed the healing capabilities of the herb into the limelight like never before.

Not a day goes by where we don’t see one of our friends share a post on social media about the therapeutic effects of CBD oil in particular, and we are often hearing of legitimate testimonials from people who have treated or helped treat their ailments and even terminal illnesses via ingesting cannabis-based products.

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Ways CBD Can Help Senior Citizens

CBD oil has received a lot of attention this year, due to its efficacy at relieving ailments like chronic pain, arthritis, and even dementia in elderly people, and in this article we will be looking at exactly how CBD can help our loved ones during the later stages of life.

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Combats Pain and Reduces Inflammation

As we get older, we start to notice aches and pains in our joints more frequently. And while many of us find the stiffness tolerable to a degree, when we reach a certain age, it can become debilitating and unbearable and many often turn to prescription drugs. A long time ago, CBD was found to provide long-term relief for pains that arise as a result of:

  • Arthritis
  • Neuropathy
  • Crohn‘s disease
  • Cancer
  • ALS
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Post-traumatic stress
  • Huntington’s disease
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

Many more ailments frequently cause pain in individuals of all ages, but especially the elderly. Thanks to the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory benefits of cannabidiol oil, more doctors are prescribing nature’s powerful healing potion to senior patients as they feel it is a better alternative to dishing out traditional painkillers that can cause damage to other organs if used for too long.

With more publicity surrounding the use of CBD-based products to naturally combat the uncomfortable symptoms of aging, it quickly became the multi-purpose medicine of choice in states where it is permitted for medicinal purposes.

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CBD Heals Your Aching Bones

When taken in the correct manner, cannabis can help damaged joints. One of the most common symptoms of aging is the reduction in bone density, which is accompanied by the tendency to be prone to Osteoporosis. This degenerative condition makes the elderly highly susceptible to fractures, especially women over the age of 50 who have been through the menopause. CBD can be used as a preventative measure and also in a curative sense when it comes to dealing with bone-related issues in seniors.

Research has revealed that CBD is capable of halting bone degeneration in its tracks and even reversing existing damage. It triggers the regeneration of healthy bone tissue, as well as growth. The result of taking regular doses of CBS is one that senior citizens very much need—increased bone density and stronger bones. It also has the added benefit of relieving pain caused by the inflammation of joints and surrounding muscles.

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It Enhances Quality of Sleep

It comes without much surprise that many senior citizens have difficulty sleeping. They struggle to fall asleep, they can’t stay asleep for a long time, and they also usually struggle to maintain healthy sleep patterns. Not only can this lead to increased fatigue and irritability during the day, but inconsistent sleep in old age can also encourage degenerative diseases like dementia, glaucoma, and Alzheimer’s.

Fortunately, the benefits of CBD when it comes to sleep are countless. First of all, contrary to traditional prescription sleep meds, CBD enhances alertness throughout the day. However, it works much better as a sleeping aid when it is taken in the morning as opposed to right before bed. It cures insomnia by promoting lengthier, more consistent sleep patterns and also allows sufferers to overcome symptoms like anxiety, stress, and irritability that often accompany a lack of sleep. CBD is also a much safer alternative to pharmaceutical sleep aids, as there are no negative side effects associated with it whatsoever. For those of us who have elderly loved ones, this is possibly the most important advantage of the tincture.

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What Are the Safest Ways for Senior Citizens to Take CBD?

Smoking marijuana strains rich in CBD is not recommendable for the elderly, as high quantities of THC will also be ingested. That means that grandpa will be walking around in a complete daze most of the time, possibly as high as a kite. The safest and most effective methods of experiencing all of the healing benefits that cannabis has to offer, especially among senior citizens, is to consume CBD infused edibles such as under-the-tongue tinctures, and, of course, CBD oil.

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Final Thoughts

The benefits of choosing CBD products include no addictive properties and common withdrawal symptoms. Second, and perhaps most importantly, there are no side effects associated with CBD and a recent study revealed that in order to reach toxicity, one would have to consume over four pounds of marijuana in one day. CBD is paving the way for the world to focus on entirely natural treatments becoming commonplace in traditional medicine and with so many success stories emerging every day, the future is looking incredibly bright for cannabis-based products.

Easy CBD Lotion Recipe for Muscle Aches and Pains

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This article by Madeleine Taylor is originally published at SundayScaries.

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Using cannabis for such medical purposes as pain relief, especially chronic pain, and arthritis, sore muscles, and general pain and inflammation is trending massively all around the world right now and not just among the alternative health nuts. CBD oil has already penetrated the mainstream market, and last year saw the industry progress in leaps and bounds. While the most common form of experiencing the therapeutic benefits of the marijuana plant is taking CBD oil orally, more people suffering from aches, pains, and skin conditions are using CBD-infused topical creams.

CBD salve is convenient to keep to hand when you need quick relief from localized pain, like achy joints and muscles, and you can use as much or as little as you like. The wonderful thing about using a homemade healing lotion is that you can play around with different strengths and scents to ensure pain relief, and you won’t have to worry about running out and waiting for your next order to be delivered. Many people have had great success following the recipe that I will be sharing with you—it is very effective, easy to make, and, most importantly, cost-effective.

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Do Topical Lotions Work as Well as CBD Oil?

CBD-rich salves, balms, and creams aren’t absorbed into the bloodstream, but rather into subcutaneous tissue via pores in the skin. From the balm or topical cream form, the powerful cannabinoids are then able to interact with the relevant receptors found in the skin’s nerve fibers as a great pain management system that will help combat muscle soreness. While the majority of people who use CBD to treat issues like anxiety and insomnia find that oral ingestion is the most effective method, a topical salve is proven to provide fast relief for localized pain and works almost instantaneously. CBD lotion is known to offer relief from problems like:

  • Joint pain
  • Muscle aches
  • Inflammation
  • Eczema
  • Blotchy skin
  • Back pain

And, thanks to all of the rich proteins, vitamins, and fatty acid found present in CBD oil, our skin will be eternally grateful for this added nourishment.

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How Much CBD Oil Should You Put in Your Homemade Lotion?

Due to insufficient research on specific dosage, a general rule of thumb is to use your intuition to decide how much CBD you need to add into your recipe mixture. After doing some research on commercial, high-quality pain reliever products that can be found online, it seems that the typical amount of CBD oil found present in topical creams is approximately 100 mg CBD for every 30 ml of finished product. It is worth noting that you cannot overdo it, so feel free to use as much CBD oil as you like—or simply play around with measures until you create a formula that works for your particular needs. If you suffer from a severe skin ailment or pain, then you can increase the amount of CBD oil you put into your balm to as much as 500 mg per 30 ml.

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A word of advice before you get started:

You should really endeavor to make sure that the CBD oil you will use for making a homemade lotion is of the highest quality. Trying to cut corners by saving a few bucks on purchasing an unreputable product will likely result in your time being wasted and, while your skin might still improve, chances are your pain will not. Concentration is key, so always look for the purest organic oil you can find.

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Selecting a Good Carrier Oil for Your Salve

The liberating thing about DIY remedies is that you can tailor them to be just how you like them to rid those achy muscles. What’s more, you will have a whole load of freedom with regards to selecting a carrier oil for your homemade lotion, as you can pretty much use whatever you have on hand at home. Many people like to use hemp seed oil to reap the maximum benefits of the plant’s goodness, but others find the smell too pungent and earthy and use organic coconut oil or avocado oil instead. You can also add vitamin E oil into your concoction, as it is rich in antioxidants and also increases the shelf life of your product, should you prefer not to keep it refrigerated.

Don’t feel that you need to conform, however—a lot of people use plain old olive oil for simplicity, but this can result in quite a runny finished product. If you wanted a lotion that is “meatier,” then you could consider adding in some beeswax to firm it up a bit.

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Creating Your Homemade CBD Lotion

This process couldn’t be easier, so just follow the steps and make sure that you cook it on low heat. This is possibly the most important thing you need to worry about in order to produce an effective topical ointment.

  • Once you have measured out how much lotion you want to make, melt your coconut oil (or carrier oil of choice) on low heat slowly
  • Stir in the desired amount of CBD oil
  • If you want a firmer salve, melt a couple of inches (or a handful of pellets) of beeswax in a separate pot and allow it to become fluid
  • When the wax has melted completely, slowly add in your oil mixture making sure to stir to avoid any clumps
  • Allow the mixture to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container (preferably glass as it doesn’t have the nasty toxins found in plastic) and pop in the fridge

Now, here’s the only slightly complex part of the whole thing. As your mixture cools, it will solidify somewhat (especially if you have used coconut oil.) However, if your gut tells you that it will still end up being too runny, then you can add more beeswax until you obtain the consistency that you desire.

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Adding Scent to Your Lotion

Personally, I tend to like the natural earthy smell given off by the combination of coconut oil and CBD oil. However, there are many others who prefer to add essential oils to their lotion mixture to make it even dreamier. For example, lavender oil could be a great choice if you want to relax, and it is also known to have a soothing effect on the skin. Alternatively, you could add in some eucalyptus to pack an extra punch and clear your sinuses. To be perfectly honest, you can use any kind of chemical-free scent that appeals to you. There is no wrong or right here—your lotion, your choice! Just make sure you stir in any scents or essential oils once your concoction has fully cooled to ensure its full potency.

Speeding up Fitness Recovery with CBD

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This article by Madeleine Taylor was originally published on SundayScaries.

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Everyone’s talking about CBD. So, what gives? Well, quite a lot actually. Far from just being the health, well-being, and fitness fad of the moment, this natural oil has plenty of proven benefits going for it. Like the fact that there’s scientific proof that it’s anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety, great for your immune system, and can even reduce pain.

Now, to add to these benefits, a study has found that using CBD while working out can also help speed up recovery times.

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More CBD, less stiffness, less soreness

Catabolic hormones are responsible for breaking down muscle tissue. When you’re looking to increase muscle mass and improve muscle tone, driving down your levels of catabolic hormones (including cortisol) is essential.

Excessive cortisol impairs protein synthesis and proactively works against tissue growth. When cortisol levels are too high, even the hardest hitting of workouts could bring about little in the way of muscle improvement. On the flip side, cortisol is pivotal to protecting the liver and removing toxins (which is why cortisol is still needed by the body, despite its negative effects).

CBD oil can play a central role in helping your body hold onto a natural cortisol balance. According to Stuart Titus, president and CEO of Medical Marijuana, Inc., the study “actually mentions very specifically that the non-psychoactive cannabinoids like CBD are more preferable to use because you can give larger doses without any of the intoxicating or negative side effects.” 

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A solid night’s sleep before hitting the gym

Your body recovers best (and fastest) while asleep, which CBD oil can help with too. Looking at the biology of it, CBD oil engages CB2 receptors in the limbic and paralimbic regions of the brain. These serve as the “control centers” of the endocannabinoid system (the system that’s responsible for regulating sleep and mood).

CBD has been found to aid regular REM sleep (the deep, dreamy kind of sleep), which is exactly when optimum recovery time takes place.

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Up your stamina with a rush of anandamide

Ever heard of runner’s high? If you’ve not been lucky enough to experience this euphoric feeling while working out, allow us to fill you in. Some think that it’s nothing more than a myth. But actually, there’s plenty of research out there that proves the existence of this phenomenon.

Runner’s high can be experienced after any long, hard workout that gets the adrenaline pumping. For decades, it was thought that the release of endorphins was responsible for the effect, but more recently a study has shown that it is the endocannabinoid system that is behind runner’s high or, more specifically, a flood of anandamide, which is an endocannabinoid compound. And guess what naturally regulates this compound? Yeah, that would be CBD oil.

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Up your stamina x2 with regulated blood sugar levels

Last (but by no means least) we need to talk about blood sugar levels. Get these wrong with an imbalanced diet, and you’re going to be grappling with energy dips as you attempt to put in a reasonable gym performance.

Now, here’s something interesting: While a carefully considered diet is absolutely essential to your blood sugar levels, chronic inflammation (which many athletes struggle with) can be a cause of insulin resistance (the hormone that regulates blood sugar).

Three years ago, research into this area found something staggering—that CBD could potentially be used to treat diabetes. This study reported findings that the anti-inflammatory properties of cannabidiol not only aided chronic inflammation but also improved the body’s metabolism. This ranks among one of the most impressive benefits of CBD yet. And research into this natural resource is really only in its infancy.

So, CBD. It’s believed to aid stamina, regulate cortisol and blood sugars, and support you as you work your way to runner’s high.

As an athlete, CBD oil is almost as essential to pack into your gym bag as your sweatpants and sneakers.