Do CBD Pain Creams and Roll-Ons Work?
Some people think that Cannabidiol (CBD) oil can only be taken orally, either through droplets or mixed in food or drink. However, a significant number of these therapeutic products are topical, which means they come in the form of creams, patches, or roll-ons that you apply on the skin.
When you visit online stores, you can see brands like CBD Rescue in their lineup of transdermal CBD products that are billed to alleviate pain.
But how effective are they?
In 2015, scientific research sought to determine the effectiveness of transdermal CBD products to treat pain and inflammation. Testing different dosages and variants of CBD on laboratory rats made them conclude that cannabinoids helped alleviate the symptoms of arthritis in the test subject.
In August 2017, researchers conducted another study, this time on 320 human subjects suffering from osteoarthritis. The results were promising as the participants of the study reported pain relief after applying CBD-infused gel. However, the company discontinued phase 2 of the clinical trials before it could be peer-reviewed.
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Research studies involving human subjects are notoriously expensive, while also plagued by ethical issues. It’s the reason why most research studies involving the efficacy of CBD topical products included only animals.
However, the industry has extensive documentation of testimonials from patients who swear by the positive effects of CBD transdermal products.
Main Challenge with Transdermal Delivery of CBD Oil
One of the significant challenges of transdermal delivery is the amount of cannabinoid that penetrates the skin to be effective.
Those familiar with nicotine patches will understand how CBD patches work. The cannabinoid infuses on the part of the patch that sticks to the skin. In theory, as you put the patch on your skin, it slowly delivers the oil through the pores and to your blood to trigger pain relief.
But they found out that the active chemicals of CBD are too big to be absorbed into the skin. As a result, researchers patented specialized patches with microneedles for a more effective delivery system.
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However, transdermal roll-ons and creams do not seem to encounter the same problem.
Advantages of Transdermal CBD Products
The most significant advantage of transdermal products from CBD Rescue is that the pain relief is almost instantaneous, mainly if applied to the affected area. Another benefit is that they circumvent the liver, kidney, stomach, and lungs. With oral CBD products, they tend to pass through these vital organs first to be processed and broken down before distributed to your bloodstream.
When your body breaks down the cannabinoids, you do not get the full medicinal benefits as opposed to transdermal products.
Transdermal CBD products are also an excellent foil to people who frequently forget their medicines. A patch will last for days, and it’s less invasive. Some products will last for as long as four days, for instance. It means you can carry on with your routine without any interruption while your body continually absorbs the medicine.
You can also apply the transdermal cream or roll-on as often as necessary. You do not have to worry about dosing, unlike oral CBD products. When you use the cream, the active molecules will enter your bloodstream to offer immediate pain relief.
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