Can CBD Help Professional Athletes Suffering From Chronic Pain?

According to a new learnpublished in Journal of Cannabis Research, yes it can. The research evaluated the effect of topical CBD on chronic pain from acute lower extremity injuries in 20 former elite-level US/American football, track and field or basketball athletes.

Participants had careers of four to 10 years and had been dealing with chronic pain for at least three months. They also tried various other treatments — from surgery and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to opioids to chiropractors and massage therapists.

According to the authors, this is the first study of its kind examining the effects of CBD in top athletes.

Learn the key insights

Participants received topical CBD (10 mg) twice daily via a controlled donor;

• Participants’ tolerance, pain, and activities of daily living were assessed through self-reports over 6 weeks;

• Of those who completed the study (70%), some 50% confirmed minor side effects And the other 50% said none.

• The most common side effects were dry skin (43%) and skin rash (about 21% of participants who completed the study);

• The results showed a significant improvement in self-reported pain scores and pain-related disability, including family and domestic responsibilities, life-sustaining activities, occupational activities, recreational activities, self-care, sexual functioning, and social activities.

The researchers emphasized that the initial results indicate a therapeutic response that could be further enhanced by the combined use of CBD and other cannabinoids.

“Given the promising results of this study, the mechanism by which CBD controls joint pain should be followed in future studies,” the authors added.

The limitations of the study include a small sample size, health status, and prior exercise history of elite athletes, which impacted their perceptions of…