A sore elbow can be very uncomfortable. You might not realize how often you have to bend your arm until you feel a jolt of pain every time you do. Elbow soreness can resolve independently, but doctors might recommend a comprehensive treatment plan in some situations.
CBD is a popular wellness supplement; many people use it to promote workout recovery and ease discomfort. If you have a sore elbow, you might feel like you need a little extra help on both fronts. Before you use CBD for your elbow, here’s what you need to know.
How Does Elbow Soreness Happen?
Soreness in your elbow can come from the muscles, tendons, or bone itself. This discomfort can result from overuse of the arm, repetitive motions, or one sudden movement.
Carpenters, butchers, chefs, painters, and martial artists are just as susceptible to a sore elbow as any other person. You can even get sore just by knocking your elbow against a hard surface.
What Is CBD?
CBD, or cannabidiol, is a natural compound often derived from hemp plants. CBD is a non-psychoactive soothing compound that can help to improve the way you feel. CBD offers broad wellness benefits. Its gentle approach can support the body in performing important processes.
How Does CBD Work?
Your body is packed with cannabinoid receptors. You even make your own cannabinoids to stimulate these receptors. This massive network of cannabinoid receptors is called the endocannabinoid system, and it exists within many other systems of your body. You have cannabinoid receptors everywhere, from your central nervous system to your immune system. The endocannabinoid system plays a supportive role in the body’s maintenance of many other systems and processes.
CBD interacts with the receptors within your endocannabinoid system and encourages them to perform their natural functions better. CBD is especially helpful for things like workout recovery, supporting the body’s stress management system, and maintaining healthy sleep patterns.
First, See a Doctor
If you think you might have put excess strain on your elbow, talk to your doctor for a thorough examination. It’s important to ensure bones aren’t broken, muscles aren’t significantly damaged, or tendons aren’t completely torn.
If your doctor simply says that your elbow soreness is from overuse and needs rest and soothing, you may be able to turn to CBD for support.
Can CBD Help Soothe Joint Discomfort?
A sore elbow can keep you from doing things you enjoy and lead to general discomfort. Even when you get an appointment with a doctor, you may look for ways to soothe your discomfort before your appointment.
While many substances claim to be natural remedies for joint discomfort, CBD is a substance that is proven to support your overall wellness. CBD can’t cure your sore elbow, but it can help temporarily soothe feelings of discomfort in your joints. Here are a few of the ways that CBD works.
Can Support Recovery
CBD interacts with your body’s endocannabinoid system, which basically exists to help your body run more smoothly. Rather than force your body to behave in certain ways, CBD gently nudges your natural processes along, and can help promote your natural recovery pathways to flow smoothly.
For instance, CBD can help promote balanced emotional wellness. When recovering, it’s natural to fall into an emotional slump, especially if your discomfort prevents you from enjoying your hobbies and passions. By supporting your emotional wellness, CBD can help you get the most out of your recovery period.
Can Soothe Feelings of Discomfort
As with many physical injuries, elbow soreness can be pretty uncomfortable. Along with the joint discomfort, you may also notice muscle tension and arm stiffness from restricting the motion of your elbow.
By interacting with your endocannabinoid system’s CB receptors, CBD can help temporarily soothe feelings of discomfort. Ingesting CBD in an oil or gummy form can help provide feelings of system-wide relief while applying a topical CBD product can help provide fast and focused soothing.
Because topical CBD products do not enter the bloodstream or interact with the internal receptors of the endocannabinoid system, it is safe to ingest CBD simultaneously while also applying it in topical form.
Can Promote Sleep
When you’re experiencing discomfort, relaxing enough for good quality sleep can be hard. You may find that your sleep is fitful, slow to come on, and punctuated with periods of wakefulness. The physical discomfort from muscle overuse can impact your sleep, both in length and depth.
CBD can help lull you to sleep by interacting with your body’s stress management systems to help you release feelings of tension. CBD may also interact with your sleep/wake cycle, which helps your body get tired at the appropriate times. While dealing with a physical strain, supplementing with CBD can help you get the restful ZZZs you’ve been dreaming of.
Can Support a Positive Mood
CBD supports the body’s natural stress management system. It has naturally soothing properties to soothe feelings of tension and interact with your brain’s serotonin signals. Because of this, CBD supplements can be a great help in your stress management strategy, especially when you’re dealing with feelings of overwhelm.
Any amount of physical discomfort, especially if felt long-term, can produce feelings of emotional tension. Using CBD to support you through physical strain can help by soothing feelings of physical discomfort while supporting a positive mood.
CBD oil can help to soothe feelings of stress and tension, but it’s not a magic cure. It’s good to use CBD in conjunction with good practices for reducing stress, including mindfulness, meditation, soothing bubble baths, and more.
Can Help With Rest and Relaxation
Sometimes the hardest part of healing is the need for rest. If you are an active person, staying still can feel like torture. However, often rest is the key.
By supporting a positive mood, soothing feelings of both physical and emotional discomfort, and maintaining healthy sleep patterns, CBD can allow you to find the rest your body needs to heal.
Take this time of rest to explore hobbies that don’t involve the overuse of that elbow — try coloring in a coloring book, reading that novel that has been collecting dust on your nightstand, or watching cooking videos on YouTube. Now is as good a time as any to diversify your hobbies.
While resting, you can also catch up on things you may have neglected while busy being active, including house cleaning, schedule clearing, or time with friends. All these can set you up for success when you’re back in the swing of things.
How Can I Use CBD for a Sore Elbow?
CBD can’t treat or cure soreness in your elbow. Your doctor may give you instructions for proper care, and it’s important to follow those instructions.
While you’re at your appointment, you can ask your doctor if you can use CBD. Certain forms of CBD may be better than others when you have elbow soreness, especially if your doctor recommends specific medications.
CBD Oil or Gummies for a Sore Elbow
CBD has naturally soothing properties, and it can help to promote feelings of relaxation. If your elbow is aching, your doctor may recommend things like over-the-counter pain relievers.
CBD can affect the way the body absorbs some medications. The two can compete for resources in your body, affecting how they work.
If your doctor wants you to take medications for your elbow, ask for their advice before you use CBD. Your doctor will usually know if CBD has any potentially negative interactions with your medications.
CBD Topicals for Elbow Soreness
CBD topical products, like CBD roll-on, are products formulated with CBD and other soothing ingredients to help soothe feelings of muscle tension. They create a cooling sensation that distracts your senses from feelings of minor discomfort.
You can generally use CBD topicals if your doctor permits you to use muscle-rub products on your elbow.
The ingredients in CBD topicals don’t penetrate the skin and enter your body’s endocannabinoid system. They won’t interact with any medications you take.
Pure Relief’s CBD roll-on is easy to apply directly to sore muscles. Ingredients like eucalyptus and menthol produce a cooling sensation that can soothe feelings of discomfort. CBD works with the endocannabinoid receptors in your skin to provide relief, too.
Note: Elbow discomfort can last a long time. Many people deal with the effects of a sore elbow for months. The condition is serious, and being very mindful can help your body recover as swiftly as possible.
Your body isn’t meant to use over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen for a long time. The official recommendation is to stop using them after 10 days. In some cases, your doctor might recommend that you use them for a little longer.
If your elbow soreness is not resolving on its own, reach out to your healthcare provider.
Conclusion
If you have a sore elbow from overuse, repetitive motion, or a sudden movement, then you can combine ingestible CBD, like CBD gummies, with topical CBD products to support relief both inside and out.
If your elbow soreness isn’t resolving on its own, don’t hesitate to reach out to your healthcare provider. While CBD can aid in soothing feelings of physical discomfort with virtually no side effects, it is always best to get medical advice for long-term discomfort.
Sources:
CBD for Sleep & Insomnia Symptoms | American Sleep Association
