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How is CBD Useful for Treating Athletic Injuries?
Professional athletes suffer from injuries during their training, and it is part and parcel of their career. Also, most treatments focus on providing fast healing and recovery so that they can get back to their normal performance. This usually involves using a combination of pharmaceutical medicines and exercises. Some of the common symptoms of these injuries are pain and inflammation, and they are mitigated using painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. However, they have disadvantages, i.e., their side effects may lower performance. Cannabidiol (CBD), derived from the hemp plant has emerged as a safer alternative; read on to know more about this.
What Is CBD?
CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is one of more than hundreds of cannabinoids found in the cannabis family of plants. The cannabidiol products used by athletes are made using extracts of hemp plant parts like flowers, leaves, and buds. Also, they must be cultivated according to federal regulations, i.e., their THC content must be less than 0.3%. This is especially important for athletes as getting tested positive for psychotropic compounds during drug screening tests will disqualify them from events.
Related: What are the differences between THC and CBD? Click here to learn more.
What Are The Benefits Of CBD?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is useful for treating the injuries of athletes due to its health benefits. This is because of its therapeutic effects, which it produces by influencing the cannabinoid receptors of the endocannabinoid system (ECS); the ECS controls homeostasis through a network of chemical signaling systems.
Listed below are the main health benefits of CBD:
- It is useful for reducing pain and inflammation
- Reduces the primary symptoms of autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis, i.e., inflammation and pain
- Improves cardiovascular function due to its positive stimulation of the ECS
- Useful for treating metabolic syndrome
What Are The CBD Uses For Athletic Injuries?
The anti-inflammatory effect and the stimulation of ECS by CBD make it useful for accelerating the healing of various athletic injuries.
Sprains: This is one of the most common types of injury that many athletes suffer from. It happens when the ligaments are torn, stretched, or twisted, and is commonly experienced in the knees and ankles. Its symptoms are inflammation, pain, and restricted movement of the affected joint.
Jumper’s Knee: This happens when the tendon, i.e., the tissue that connects the shinbone and kneecap is inflamed or injured. Jumper’s knee is common in athletes who must perform repeated jumping.
Strain: This happens when the muscle is overextended or overstretched. A strain is common in sports like running, lifting, jumping, and actions that involve a quick change in direction.
Related: Could CBD help to boost the immune system? Click here to find out more.
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