CBD for Physical Therapy & Pain Management

Physical Therapy & CBD for Chronic Pain

When we think of physical therapy most people think of recovering from an injury or surgery. Sprained ankle? You need physical therapy. Back surgery? See your physical therapist. However, physical therapy can be effective in treating a condition more than 50 million Americans live with every day: chronic pain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 20.4% (50.0 million) of U.S. adults had chronic pain and 8.0% of U.S. adults (19.6 million) had high-impact chronic pain, with higher prevalences of both chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain reported among women, older adults, previously but not currently employed adults, adults living in poverty, adults with public health insurance, and rural residents.

Pain relief through physical therapy is based on the knowledge that all forces in the body affect each other. Physical therapy treats chronic pain by physical methods such as massage, heat treatment, and exercise rather than by opioids or surgery. Similarly, CBD achieves pain relief much in the same way when introduced into the body. This is due to the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) and how CBD (when ingested orally, used topically, or applied transdermally) interact with the two primary receptors CB1 & CB2 in the ECS. By stimulating the ECS, CBD promotes homeostasis, reduces pain sensations, and decreases inflammation.

Benefits of CBD for pain management:

• All natural pain relief
• Aids in healthy sleep
• Reduces occasional anxiety and stress
• Non-intoxicating and non-habit forming

Pain Relief Through CBD & Physical Therapy

The real power of combining your physical therapy routine with CBD is that recovery times are faster. By taking CBD with your physical therapy routine you can help manage your pain, overcome associated soreness and aches that your body may have after a session, and promote healthy sleep so your body can recover naturally. Never tried adding CBD to your physical therapy regiment? Check out my article outlining 3 ways CBD can benefit your physical therapy routine.

When I injured my back I had to undergo several months of orthopedic physical therapy. Pain killers were a regular occurrence to my day, but after several months my body began rejecting the opioids I was taking daily. I turned to cannabis and CBD for relief as a means to wean myself off prescription medication and the results were significant. I was able to fight my pain naturally and start functioning normally. If you live with chronic pain and don’t currently see a physical therapist it may be worth locating one near you and starting a regiment. The American Physical Therapy Association has a great tool for finding a physical therapist near you.

Consider adding CBD to your daily pain management routine as well and you’ll experience some amazing results. I currently use Papa & Barkley’s tinctures, pain balm, and their body oil.

If you live in California, I would also recommend the Releaf patches. If you live outside California, Papa & Barkley makes Hemp-based CBD remedies for pain with the same all-natural process as their California line of products.

Resources

• https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/postings/2016/11/pain_relief.php
• https://www.practicalpainmanagement.com/treatments/rehabilitation/physical-therapy/physical-therapy-pain-management
• https://www.oleanpt.com/library/4299/FiveTypesofPhysicalTherapy.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6736a2.htm
• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cbd-oil-benefits