As a Massage Therapist, I have had several clients ask me if I ever thought about using CBD oil for their massage session. My first reaction was, "No way am I using pot oil!". Then I kept seeing Facebook ads and articles on CBD oil, I even started to see famous people and doctors start talking about using it. I figured it was worth the research to at least educate myself on it. I must admit I really knew nothing about it and I really never paid much attention to all the medical marijuana ads and debate. To me pot is pot and I've seen people on pot and I didn't want anything to do with it or any products made with it.
I figured I would start with the biology, what is the plant, what is it made of and what are the oils and parts of the plant actually being used. What I found was that I really had no idea what this species of plant was or that there are different types of the plant. I won't go into all the details, but I will break down the important facts.
What is CBD Oil? CBD or Cannabidiol is an oil known as a cannabinoid derived from the cannabis plant. It is an oil that is extracted from the plant and has known health benefits. CBD oil is NOT Marijuana.
Marijuana and Hemp come from that same plant, cannabis savtiva, but they are very different. Over years and years marijuana farmers have selectively bred plants to be very high in THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol) the compound that delivers the mind altering high when broken down by heat and introduced into the body like when you smoke it or cook it into foods, it's a psychotropic drug. CBD is not psychoactive. It does not change the state of mind of the person who uses it.
CBD comes from the Hemp plant which has little to no THC in the plant. The Hemp plant is also used to make fiber that is used in clothing and other items.
CBD works by attaching its self to certain receptors in the body to produce their effects. The human body produces certain cannabinoids on its own. It has two receptors for cannabinoids called CB1 and CB2 receptors. CB1 receptors are found all around the body, but many of them are in the brain. These receptors deal with coordination and movement, pain and emotions and mood, thinking, appetite, and memories, and others. THC attaches to these receptors.
CB2 receptors are more common in the immune system. They affect inflammation and pain. CBD oil does not attach to these receptors but instead it influences the body to use more of its own cannabinoids. Because of this CBD oil is being used as a more natural way to relieve pain and inflammation. In fact a study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine found the CBD significantly reduced chronic inflammation and pain in some mice and rats. CBD could be a new treatment for chronic pain. There is also some promising evidence that CBD might help people quit smoking, a study by the Addictive Behaviors found that smokers who inhaled CBD smoked fewer cigarettes and did not have the nicotine cravings as much.
For me, after doing this research, not only have I been using CBD oil on some of my clients with chronic pain with great results, but back in October of 2017 I broke my arm and ended up with frozen elbow due to having my arm in a cast for 4 weeks. I use CBD oil to help with the pain from working the elbow in OT twice a week and from the pain caused by massaging 16 clients a week. It has relieved so much pain for me and enabled me to continue working and helping clients relieve their pain. So now, yes I do carry CBD oil in my practice, I found a great company called CBD Clinic
they are FDA regulated and I love their products.
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