Cannabidiol (CBD) has become a popular ingredient in various products, including oils, lotions, and foods. In massage therapy, CBD oil is gaining traction due to its claimed health benefits, such as reducing pain and inflammation. If you're considering a CBD massage, you probably have some questions: How does it work? How effective is it? What are the potential side effects and risks? Is it truly effective for pain relief? This article will explore what you need to know about CBD massage.
What Is Cannabidiol (CBD)?
CBD is one of the active chemical compounds found in the Cannabis sativa plant. Marijuana also comes from the Cannabis sativa plant. However, CBD contains 0.3% or less of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive chemical in marijuana that causes a "high." CBD alone doesn't cause intoxication, though it may make some people feel sleepy. Even without the high, CBD can still affect your brain and body.
CBD is commonly used as an oil that is rubbed into the skin or swallowed. It can also be vaped or taken orally as an extract or capsule. Additionally, CBD is found in various other products like cosmetics, edibles, and drinks.
How Effective Is CBD?
CBD has proven effective in treating rare seizure disorders. Purified CBD is the main active ingredient in Epidiolex, an FDA-approved medication for this purpose.
Scientists are still researching the effectiveness of CBD for conditions like anxiety, chronic pain, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease, and how CBD affects the body. Currently, there is limited data to fully answer these questions.
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Does CBD Help Relieve Pain?
Animal studies suggest that CBD may help alleviate pain and inflammation. However, more high-quality research in humans is needed. Additional research is also necessary to determine the safe and effective amounts of CBD for treating pain.
Some small studies indicate that CBD could help with chronic pain. For example:
- A 2018 study of 2,409 CBD users found that pain relief was the most common reason for using CBD. Respondents who used CBD for chronic pain or arthritis/joint pain were more likely to report that CBD alone treated their pain "very well" or "moderately well."
- A 2020 study showed that topical CBD oil significantly reduced peripheral neuropathy pain in the legs, ankles, and feet.
- In a 2021 online survey of 878 people with fibromyalgia who were currently using CBD, many reported substituting CBD for pain medications, especially opioids and NSAIDs. Most respondents said that using CBD allowed them to decrease or stop using other pain medications.
- A 2023 study examined the effectiveness of topical CBD for treating pain in 20 former professional athletes. Of the 70% who completed the study, all reported significant improvement in their pain levels over time.
It's important to note that these studies are based on personal observations. Like any pain reliever, CBD may provide little to no pain relief for some individuals.
What Is CBD Massage?
A CBD massage is a traditional massage that uses CBD oil or cream. In a regular massage, a massage therapist rubs and kneads your muscles with varying amounts of pressure.
Massage therapy offers several benefits, including:
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- Relaxation
- Stress reduction
- Pain and soreness reduction
- Immune system boost
- Joint inflammation reduction
- Stimulated circulation
- Improved sleep
- Decreased anxiety
- Enhanced mood
During a CBD massage, CBD oil or cream is applied to your skin. The massage therapist then begins the massage, focusing on areas that need attention.
What Are the Benefits of CBD Massage?
A CBD massage can provide all the benefits of a traditional massage. While research on topical CBD use is limited, massage stimulates circulation, potentially increasing pain relief when combined with CBD oil. CBD oil is absorbed into your body through your skin, which may reduce inflammation and help with sore muscles and joints.
Adding CBD oil to massage therapy can enhance the effectiveness and health support for patients. CBD is extracted from hemp plants and is free of THC. It acts as an anti-inflammatory, combating muscle pain and stiffness, arthritis pain, and improving skin health. CBD can absorb through the skin to offer internal health benefits and support mental health.
How CBD Oil Works with Your Body
CBD oils work with naturally occurring molecules and receptors in your body to restore biological harmony. CBD's calming effects are linked to the human body's endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS helps maintain functions like memory, mood, hunger, sleep, pain, and body temperature.
When CBD oil is applied to the skin, it locates natural endocannabinoid molecules, binds with them, and activates receptors in the ECS system to stimulate pain relief and relaxation, ultimately calming the nervous system. This process of CBD oil absorption is called micellization.
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Once the oil is massaged into your body, your skin's molecules form a barrier around the CBD compound. The fat-loving end of your skin molecules attaches to the fatty side of the CBD molecule, allowing it to pass through your skin membrane and enter the targeted area.
How CBD Oil Helps Chronic Pain and Inflammation
A massage with CBD oil is ideal because of its natural anti-inflammatory effects, which help calm sore muscles and joints. CBD reduces inflammation due to its activity with endocannabinoid receptors, which act as pathways for inflammation in the body. Combining massage therapy with CBD oil ensures that your body’s pain receptors are directly targeted. As a result, you may feel more relief in chronic pain areas and experience deep relaxation.
How CBD Oil Impacts Anxiety
Anxiety can cause fatigue in the mind and body. CBD can decrease the physical tension produced by anxiety, encouraging your body to speed up recovery times during and after massage treatment. Studies have shown that individuals experienced a decrease in anxiety levels after treatment with CBD.
CBD's natural relaxation properties enhance the benefits of massage, allowing you to enter a deeper relaxation mode.
What Are the Side Effects of CBD?
CBD is generally well-tolerated but can cause side effects, such as:
- Dry mouth
- Drowsiness
- Decreased appetite
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Mood changes
Are There Other Risks?
Consider the following potential risks before getting a CBD massage:
- Lack of FDA Approval: Except for Epidiolex, CBD products are not FDA-approved and lack standards. This means they may contain more or less CBD than the label states, or include other ingredients like THC.
- Medication Interactions: CBD can alter how other medications work, potentially leading to serious side effects.
- Brain Impairment or Psychotic Effects: If you regularly use THC, adding CBD can cause brain impairment or psychotic effects.
- Liver Damage and Fertility Damage: CBD use has been linked to liver damage and damage to male fertility.
- Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: CBD use is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding due to unknown effects on fetuses and infants.
- Abnormal Liver Function Tests: CBD use can cause abnormal results on liver function tests.
- Unknown Effective Dosage: Experts do not know the most effective CBD dosage for pain or other conditions, requiring more research.
- Drug Test Issues: CBD products can contain enough THC to show up in urine drug tests, potentially causing problems with employers.
Important Considerations for Massage Therapists
Licensed massage therapists should look for products containing between 150 mg to 1,100 mg of CBD per ounce. Anything under 100 milligrams per ounce may have low efficacy. CBD-infused topicals are versatile and can be integrated into various massage modalities.
Pain relief is one of the most significant benefits of using CBD in massage therapy. CBD is excellent for reducing inflammation and pain. Other potential benefits include increased relaxation, better sleep, and a feeling of calmness.
Contraindications for CBD use are the same as those for massage in general. For example, using CBD with clients with cancer or undergoing chemotherapy is not advised. CBD is also not recommended for pregnancy, prenatal massage, nursing mothers, or individuals with seizure disorders.
If a massage therapist has a skin reaction to something in the product, they should discontinue use. Heavily mentholated CBD products can cause numbness in the hands after multiple uses.
Choosing CBD Massage Oils
It’s important to choose products that have been third-party tested for quality and purity.