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- Researchers found that topical CBD reduced swelling and pain in arthritis studies.
- CBD creams and balms may help with pain without causing side effects inside the body, like liver problems or stomach upset.
- CBD works with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). This system helps control pain and swelling in specific spots.
- More than 75% of people who use CBD use it mostly for help with pain and feeling uncomfortable.
- Cannabis creams and balms are being used more often instead of NSAIDs for help with sore muscles, ongoing pain, and skin care.
Many people deal with everyday aches, ongoing joint pain, or muscle soreness after working out. For a long time, people often reached for NSAIDs like ibuprofen. But people are starting to worry more about the long-term problems these drugs can cause. So, they are looking at plant-based choices that are gentler. Cannabis creams, balms, and lotions made with CBD are one option. They are made to help with pain and swelling right where it hurts. They do this without making you feel high or causing stress on your internal organs. This guide will compare cannabis and CBD creams and balms to NSAIDs. We will look at how they help, how they work, and how to pick one that works well for pain relief.
What Are Cannabis Topicals?
Cannabis topicals are products you put on your skin. They include things like balms, lotions, oils, patches, and creams. They have cannabinoids like CBD or THC in them. When you put them on your skin, they help in a specific spot. They usually do not make you feel psychoactive or "high." This is because they usually do not get into your bloodstream much.
People use these products most often for:
- Sore or tight muscles
- Joint pain from arthritis or doing the same thing over and over
- Minor skin problems like eczema or insect bites
- Help with swelling
- Feeling relaxed and less stressed
Topicals deliver cannabinoids straight to cannabinoid receptors in the skin. This lets them work right where you put them. This is good for people who want fast help with discomfort in one spot without affecting their mind or mood.
Common Forms of Cannabis Topicals
- Creams and Lotions: These add moisture and give you cannabinoids. They are good for skin that is dry or swollen.
- Balms and Salves: These are thicker, wax-based products. They stay on longer and can go deeper into joints or muscles.
- Massage Oils: These are good for helping your whole body feel relaxed. You can use them in spa or physical therapy sessions.
- Gels and Roll-Ons: These are easy to use when you are traveling and are not messy. You put them exactly where you need them. They often have things that make you feel cool or warm.
Maybe you are managing ongoing joint stiffness, or you have a sprain from playing sports. Or maybe you just want to take care of yourself after a workout. The right cannabis topical can make a difference in how you feel.
Cannabis Topicals vs. Transdermal Products
It is important to know the difference between cannabis topicals and transdermal products. They might look similar, but they work very differently.
Key Differences:
| Feature | Cannabis Topicals | Transdermal Products |
|---|---|---|
| Absorption | Stay on the surface | Go through skin into bloodstream |
| Effects | Help in one spot | Affect the whole body |
| Psychoactivity | Do not make you high | Can make you high if THC is there |
| Use Case | Muscle pain, stiff joints, skin problems | Ongoing problems, help with feeling worried, whole-body pain |
For example, transdermal cannabis patches can send cannabinoids into the bloodstream over a long time. People use these for effects that last throughout the body. This can include making you feel psychoactive if there is THC in them. Standard CBD topicals, though, stay close to the skin. They are not made to get into your whole body or make you high.
Let's say you want to help with pain in just one place, like a sore knee or a strained shoulder. Non-transdermal cannabis topicals give you simple relief right where you need it. They do not make you high.
How They Work: Understanding the Endocannabinoid System (ECS)
Cannabis topicals work well because of the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). This is a complex network that sends signals between cells. It helps control things like:
- How you feel pain
- Swelling
- How your body fights sickness
- Your mood and how stressed you feel
- How healthy your skin is
Cannabinoid Receptors in the Skin
Your skin has many cannabinoid receptors. Two important ones are:
- CB1 receptors, which are also in the brain and nervous system. They can affect how you feel pain.
- CB2 receptors, which are more often linked to fighting sickness and controlling swelling.
Cannabis topicals that have CBD, THC, or other cannabinoids work with these receptors. This helps with healing in the spot where you put them. This can mean stopping things that cause swelling. It can also mean helping your body release compounds that feel soothing. This starts your body’s natural way of managing pain.
This means that CBD topicals do not just hide pain. They help change the basic process that is causing it.
Common Ways People Use CBD Topicals
CBD topicals can be used in many ways. This makes them helpful for all sorts of people, from athletes to people who work at desks and more. Here are some common ways people use them:
1. Help After Injury
Small injuries like sprains, strains, or bruises can feel better with CBD balm in the right spot. It helps with swelling and eases pain. And it does this without the side effects you get from taking medicine by mouth.
2. Help After Working Out
People who play sports or like to exercise put CBD rubs with eucalyptus or menthol on their tired muscles after a workout. The cooling feeling helps reduce lactic acid. It also makes post-exercise pain easier to handle.
3. Help with Ongoing Conditions
People who have conditions like arthritis or fibromyalgia say topical CBD helps them feel better regularly. It is especially good for places like hands, knees, and shoulders that often feel stiff and uncomfortable.
4. Help with General Body Stress
Even jobs where you sit still can cause tightness. Putting CBD balm on your neck, back, and shoulders can help break up swelling that just sits there. It can also help reduce the strain from bad posture.
5. Help with Dry or Swollen Skin
Dry air and some skin conditions can hurt your skin’s barrier. Thick balms that mix CBD with things that add moisture, like shea butter or calendula, can feel soothing and help skin get better.
6. Help with Feeling Calm
Putting CBD on pulse points like your temples or wrists can help calm your nervous system. If you use it with lavender or chamomile oil, it is like a small aromatherapy session mixed in with your pain relief.
Science Behind Pain and Inflammation Relief
Studies on animals and early studies on humans support the idea that CBD can reduce pain and swelling. One important study from 2016 in the European Journal of Pain showed that putting CBD on animals with arthritis greatly reduced swelling and actions linked to discomfort. It did this without any side effects that people saw (Hammell et al., 2016).
Here is how it works at a basic level:
- CBD lessens the release of cytokines. These are proteins that signal more swelling.
- It calms down pathways that send too many pain signals. This makes the area that hurts less sensitive.
- CBD also affects TRPV1. This is a receptor connected to pain and heat. It helps control how the body senses pain.
This is why CBD is good for helping with swelling and nerve pain in a specific spot, not the whole body.
Why You Might Choose Topicals Over NSAIDs
NSAIDs like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen work well, but they can cause noticeable side effects. Using them for a long time or using a lot can increase the chances of:
- Stomach ulcers
- Kidney or liver damage
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
On the other hand, cannabis topicals offer a choice that does not affect your whole body and has low risk. This is true especially when the pain is in just one place.
Benefits of CBD Topicals Over NSAIDs:
| Feature | NSAIDs | CBD Topicals |
|---|---|---|
| Chance of Stomach Issues | High | Very small |
| Kidney / Liver Stress | Yes | None |
| Chance of Addiction | Low to moderate | None |
| Effects that Make You High | None | None (CBD only) |
| Safety for Long Time Use | Some questions | Generally safe (depends on the product) |
Also, CBD topicals are great for:
- Older people who take many different medicines
- People who react badly to medicines they take by mouth
- People who want to use plant-based ways to heal
The Brightfield Group says that 75% of people who use CBD use it for pain and swelling. And topicals are the type of CBD product that is growing fastest in the U.S. health market.
Making Your Own Topical Plan
Finding the right way to use CBD topicals means thinking about your life, what you like, and what you are feeling. Here is a simple guide to get you started:
Daily Ideas
- Morning: Put a cooling CBD roll-on on your neck or shoulders before you go to work.
- After Exercise: Use a CBD rub with menthol on big muscle groups to help them get better faster.
- Evening Relax Time: Rub a balm with lavender on pulse points or joints that are sore.
- Before Bed: Put a warming balm on areas with arthritis for comfort during the night.
Try using them at different times, with different things in them, and with different textures. Do this until you find what feels best.
How to Choose Good CBD Topicals
Not all CBD topicals are made the same way. Products that are not made well might not have much active CBD. Or they might have fake ingredients that bother your skin. Here is what to look for:
Product Checklist
- Testing by an Outside Lab (COA): Always check that the strength is right and that there are no pesticides or heavy metals.
- Full-Spectrum or Broad-Spectrum CBD: These products have helpful cannabinoids and terpenes that make them work better.
- Natural Ingredients: Look for products that are not genetically modified, do not have parabens, and are free of added smells.
- Clear Information: Choose companies that tell you clearly where ingredients come from, how plants are grown, and that they follow good practices.
Real-Life Change: Switching from NSAIDs to CBD Balm
One user talks about how she stopped relying on ibuprofen and started using CBD balm. She badly sprained her ankle while running on a trail. After that, she looked into cannabis topicals as something different to try.
What happened? The pain felt less intense within minutes. She used it consistently for two weeks. Her healing got faster, the swelling went down, and she never used NSAIDs again. Now, CBD is what she uses every day after hikes, after sitting at her desk, or when she feels stress in her shoulders.
For many people, it is not just about feeling better. It is about having more control over their health routines.
The Healing Custom of Using Cannabis Topicals
Using cannabis topicals is also appealing because it lets you create a custom that helps both your body and mind. The simple act of rubbing in balm, taking deep breaths, and paying attention to where it hurts adds awareness to your healing custom.
You can try using your CBD topical along with:
- Deep breathing
- Gentle stretching or yoga
- Listening to calming sounds
- Drinking herbal teas
This makes using cannabis not just about helping pain. It becomes a full self-care experience for all your senses.
Who Might Want to Try Cannabis Topicals?
Cannabis topicals offer a clear way to start using natural pain relief with very little risk. If you are like any of the people below, you might find it helpful to add them to your routine:
- People who play sports
- People who work at desks
- People who want to be more aware in their self-care
- People interested in whole-body health
- Older people who want to avoid problems with their medicines
- People who do not want to feel "high"
They are a way to try cannabis in a way that feels right for you. It is gentle, safe, and works well.
Risks and Downsides
CBD topicals are generally safe, but there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Test a Small Area First: Some people might be allergic to the essential oils or other plant ingredients.
- Do Not Affect the Whole Body: They are not right for problems inside the body, like headaches that happen often or swelling in your stomach.
- Effects Can Change: How well they work can be different. It depends on how good the product is and how your own skin works.
- Not the Only Solution: They should be used along with a full health plan. This might include physical therapy, good food, or advice from a doctor.
The Final Word: A Simple Way to Help with Pain
Cannabis topicals are a useful, plant-based choice for people who want help with pain without the bad parts of medicines. They work in a specific area, do not have many risks, and more science is showing they work. This makes them a good choice for many people dealing with discomfort, from daily strain to ongoing pain.
Like many good things, using them regularly and choosing quality products is important. Look for products you trust, make choices based on what you need, and make applying them part of your self-care custom. Maybe you want to get better faster after working out, or maybe you just want a gentler way to feel well. CBD topicals are there to help you right where it hurts, and help you get better.
Citations
- Hammell, D. C., Zhang, L. P., Ma, F., Abshire, S. M., McIlwrath, S. L., Stinchcomb, A. L., & Westlund, K. N. (2016). Transdermal cannabidiol reduces inflammation and pain-related behaviours in a rat model of arthritis. European Journal of Pain, 20(6), 936–948. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.818
- Brightfield Group. (2020). CBD Consumer Insights Report.
- Grinspoon, P. (2021). Cannabidiol (CBD)—what we know and what we don’t. Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cannabidiol-cbd-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont-2018082414476
