So, I’ve been doing some of my own research on the craze
called CBD oil. It seems that everywhere you look, someone is selling CBD this
or CBD that to get rid of pain, inflammation, arthritis, cancer, acne, your
ex..(just kidding..) But really, why all this excitement? Is there anything
really to it? Well, what I have found out is… yes and no.
Yes, there actually may be something to all the hype. Some
studies have shown benefits such as a decrease in muscle soreness, decrease in
inflammation (which coincidentally is also why some use the product to help
with acne symptoms), decrease in pain associated with arthritis and cancer,
and alleviate insomnia to some degree. It
does all this by binding to certain neurotransmitter receptor cites in the
brain that are very similar to the CBD since the body already produces
something almost the same as CBD chemically. Great news, right? Not so fast,
buckwheat…
The no side is there isn’t enough hard research out there to
prove unequivocally these proposed benefits. The only documented research I
read about deals with the effects on minors with a couple of rare forms of
epilepsy. It does have an effect to help reduce some of the symptoms associated
with them. Additionally, the products are not regulated meaning there are no
controls over how it is made, processed, etc… Some companies have tested
products from several different manufacturers and discovered not only
significant differences in quality, but also evidence that the product did not
even contain what was listed on the label. As a result, obviously, there would
be dramatic differences in effectiveness. Further one cannot rule out the
possibility of the placebo effect. Placebo can be very real and doing what I do
as a Massage Therapist, I have to consider every day that a percentage of my
client’s improvement may be related to placebo. Of course, what I have told
them and my students is if the client gets better and stays better, does it
really matter whether it is you or placebo? Not really. Another factor to
consider is after some period of time, different for everyone, effectiveness
will naturally decrease as your body adjusts to the product and you will
develop a resistance, meaning you will have to use more or higher concentration
or both to generate a similar response. Keep in mind too, that in some states
the amount of THC is regulated. It is faster and more efficient to take it
through the bloodstream (vape or sublingual). WARNING… It is possible to test
positive on drug tests in the workplace using these products. It may take
between 1.5 and 5 days hours to
metabolize out of your system. We also do not know how much of the product it
would take to cause one to test positive. Again, based on metabolism each
person will be different. And there is no way of knowing if or how much is
really in the product you have. Even though the label says there isn’t any THC
in the product, remember, it isn’t regulated or tested. It just might.
BTW… Hey therapists!! Remember the rule of first contact….
If you are using this on your clients, you are the first one touching the
product. You are going to get more than your client. If you are doing this more
than once per day or week, it is definitely going to build up in your system!
Make sure you are not using products systemically, only locally. Consider using
gloves for initial application and be safe.
My conclusions…. It might work. If you choose to use it make
sure you vet your resources and products as to the quality of the product and
the company. There are so many folks out there doing it. There are some of
questionable ethics. This is a huge money maker for a lot of folks and going to
be bigger as more states get on the band wagon so to speak.
Disclaimer: This is the sole opinion of the writer and Finer
Touch Massage. If you are upset or offended… oops. If you like it, send it to
your friends, enemies, frenemies…. If you want more, and you have ideas for
future content. Send me a message… no promises, but who knows 😉
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