Many CBD products, including topicals like ointments, creams, and balms are used for headaches. Initial CBD studies find the cannabinoid therapeutic and suggest that it can help with headaches, migraines, and inflammation, all the more why people use them for these very reasons. This article helps you know more about CBD ointments and headaches, including how to apply them.
CBD is a cannabinoid extracted from hemp plants and whose ointments have long been used to manage pain and headaches. The compound comes from the leaves, flowers, and stems of hemp plants and features many products, including topicals like ointments and creams. CBD studies are limited and the FDA has not approved the use of CBD products for treating headaches. However, initial research finds therapy in CBD and suggests that since it can help with inflammation, pain, and migraines, it might be good for headaches. Peer into this article to understand how CBD ointments and headaches relate.
What Is CBD?
This section sheds light on what CBD is before delving much into CBD ointments and their effects on pain. According to Bauer et al. (2020) and Massi et al. (2006), CBD is one of the many cannabinoids in hemp plants and which stands out for its non-intoxicating properties. Cannabinoids are the collective name for all the active chemical compounds in hemp plants, each having its unique properties. Besides the non-intoxicating nature, Watt & Karl (2017) state that CBD is therapeutic, further explaining why many are after its products. You can find CBD oils, tinctures, edibles, capsules, vapes, and more in CBD shops, dispensaries, and gas stations, specifically in states that consider CBD entirely legal.
CBD Topicals and Ointments
The body cannot directly absorb CBD as the compound it is. Thus, it must come alongside other compounds and the powerful combinations are absorbed into the body for CBD benefits. CBD topicals are such forms by which you can take advantage of CBD benefits. They are strictly applied topically and are meant for external use. For instance, the JustCBD store offers CBD cold roll-on freeze cream, heat roll-on heat cream, and pain relief gel, which are applied topically for CBD benefits. Other CBD topicals include creams, balms, ointments, and muscle pumps that enable you to benefit from the cannabinoid without letting it interact with the bloodstream.
Does CBD Ointment Help with Headache?
CBD fans use different CBD products for headaches. Can you use CBD ointments to manage headaches? According to Baron (2018), CBD can relieve headaches and migraines. Headaches last for a short while but migraines may last for up to 72 hours and are severer. Besides, migraines come with other complications, including vertigo, and something as mundane as standing up worsens it. Besides, according to Vučković et al. (2018) CBD can fight pain, including chronic pains like fibromyalgia, cancer, and neuropathy. Thus, people apply CBD ointments on the forehead to manage headaches, although more research is needed to provide compelling evidence to prove that CBD can treat headaches.
CBD Ointments and Inflammation
Headaches come with inflammation which worsens the pain. This, headache, pain, and inflammation are in a vicious cycle. Can CBD ointment help with inflammation? According to Hammell et al. (2016), topically applying CBD products like ointments, balms, and creams fights inflammation and pain. The study applied CBD topically to the compromised limbs of rats with arthritis and found that CBD reduced pain and inflammation significantly. Besides, Schuelert & McDougall (2011) also reported that CBD can fight inflammation, explaining why many products designed for managing inflammation now feature it as a critical ingredient.
How to Use CBD Ointments for Headaches
Many people have embraced CBD ointments for headache, inflammation, and pain, and you likely want to. Thus, one of the many questions you may want to ask is how to use CBD ointments for headaches. Thankfully, CBD products are easy to use and require no prior knowledge to benefit from them. Besides, the product label typically features instructions on how to best use CBD topicals like ointments. Here are the simple steps you need to follow to use CBD ointments for headaches;
- Dry clean the forehead where you want to apply the CBD ointment
- Wash clean the hands and dry the hands
- Press out a little CBD ointment on your palm
- Let it melt on the palms and rub the melted cannabinoid on the forehead
- Gently and firmly massage the forehead
- Stick to low-potency and low-concentration CBD ointments when you are new to the cannabinoid
Choosing CBD Ointments for Headaches
With so many CBD brands and stores in the hemp space, choosing CBD topicals like ointments for your headache is not the easiest thing to do. At the JustCBD store, we offer CBD products made from organic ingredients and that are 3rd party tested for cannabinoid profiles and contaminant purity relative to standard contaminants such as heavy metals, industrial solvents, and toxins. As you shop for CBD ointments for your headache, pay attention to the following key areas to increase your chances of high-quality CBD products;
- Environmental factors; focus on CBD ointments prepared with organic ingredients and whose CBD is sourced from organic hemp
- Extraction method; look for extraction methods that do not leave solvent and contaminant traces on the products
- Contaminant purity; ensure the CBD ointment you are about to buy is pure with respect to heavy metals, toxins, microbials, and industrial solvents
- Source of hemp; buy your CBD ointments from brands that source their hemp in the US
- GMP compliance; the current GMP standards ensure the highest safety practices are observed in manufacturing CBD ointments. Therefore, focus on buying CBD products from GMP-compliant brands.
- 3rd party testing; with the massive lack of regulation in the CBD space, only 3rd party tests help you gauge how safe CBD products are. ask for CoA as you shop for CBD products to boost your chances of getting quality products.
Conclusion
CBD topicals like ointments, creams, massage oils, and lotions can help with headaches. Although there is insufficient evidence to prove this, existing research finds CBD therapeutic for this. This article explains more about CBD ointments for headaches, including how to apply them.
References
Baron, E. P. (2018). Medicinal properties of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids in cannabis, and benefits in migraine, headache, and pain: an update on current evidence and cannabis science. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 58(7), 1139-1186.
Bauer, B. A. (2020). What Are The Benefits Of CBD–And Is It Safe To Use? In Mayo Clinic.
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 (London, England), 20(6), 936–948.
Massi, P., Vaccani, A., Bianchessi, S., Costa, B., Macchi, P., & Parolaro, D. (2006). The non-psychoactive cannabidiol triggers caspase activation and oxidative stress in human glioma cells. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences CMLS, 63(17), 2057-2066.
Schuelert, N., & McDougall, J. J. (2011). The abnormal cannabidiol analogue O-1602 reduces nociception in a rat model of acute arthritis via the putative cannabinoid receptor GPR55. Neuroscience Letters, 500(1), 72–76.
Vučković, S., Srebro, D., Vujović, K. S., Vučetić, Č., & Prostran, M. (2018). Cannabinoids and pain: new insights from old molecules. Frontiers in pharmacology, 1259.
Watt, G., & Karl, T. (2017). In vivo evidence for therapeutic properties of cannabidiol (CBD) for Alzheimer’s disease. Frontiers in pharmacology, 8, 20.
I believe that nutrition science is a wonderful helper both for the preventive improvement of health and adjunctive therapy in treatment. My goal is to help people improve their health and well-being without torturing themselves with unnecessary dietary restrictions. I am a supporter of a healthy lifestyle – I play sports, cycle, and swim in the lake all year round.
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