HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST MUSCLE PAIN RELIEF CREAM

You can use full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or isolate CBD creams to address muscle pain. However, the quality of your cream is important. Confirm the quality levels using the extraction method, the elements, and the purity levels, preferably from a certified lab.

Muscle contractions cause pain. Although various topical products are suitable for addressing muscle pain, not all are effective or offer immediate solutions. If you often experience muscle pain, finding a permanent solution is important. CBD creams are one of the best topicals with effective active ingredients such as terpenes, flavonoids, cannabidiol (CBD), and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Hemp-based creams are blended with other organic ingredients such as MCT oil, arnica, and mint to improve functionality and quality. For effective muscle pain relief cream, users need to identify the best since some manufacturers are after profit rather than quality. The following tips help you choose the best CBD cream for muscle pain.

The Type

Hemp-based products are offered in broad-spectrum, isolate, and full spectrum. The types of CBD cream are important since it helps you utilize various active elements and enjoy more benefits than muscle pain.

Full Spectrum

Full-spectrum CBD cream entails all the essential chemical compounds of the hemp plant. It has flavonoids, THC, CBD, and terpenes. These creams are effective for providing an entourage effect; this is the ability of a product to provide more health benefits than intended due to various elements working together. However, THC has side effects than other elements. According to Fattore et al.  (2011), high potencies of THC can result in intoxication. The 2018 Farm Bill regulated THC levels in all CBD products to 0.3%, high levels depending on the experience.

Researches differ in opinion on the role of THC in full-spectrum CBD. Gallily et al.  (2018)  noted that THC has anti-inflammatory properties for preventing inflammatory diseases. Goldenberg (2017) explained that  THC could help counter inflammatory skin diseases such as dermatitis and psoriasis. However, the research is yet to be approved.

Broad Spectrum

Broad-spectrum also delivers an entourage effect since it has various cannabis sativa or hemp plant elements. However, it lacks THC, minimizing the chances of intoxication. Broad-spectrum CBD creams are useful due to terpenes, flavonoids, and CBD. According to de Assis et al. (2021), it is suitable for pain management, internal and external. However,  use it considerably to avoid any possible negative impact.

Isolate

Isolate CBD creams are useful for cannabidiol-related health benefits only. Although there are some of the most effective products, users do not benefit from the entourage effect. CBD isolate is also known as pure CBD. They are only limited to CBD health benefits since they are void of other elements from the hemp plant, such as THC, terpenes, and flavonoids. According to Eskander et al. (2020), when CBD is topically applied, it activates the endocannabinoid through receptors binding the skin and epidermal, resulting in pain alleviation and inflammation. Isolate creams should also be applied at considerable potency levels, avoiding possible side effects.

Check The Elements

The elements used to manufacture CBD products are useful in improving their effectiveness and quality. However, they must be of high quality to avoid possible side effects. Consider muscle pain creams with organic ingredients to avoid skin irritation or burns. Most people are now going for CBD creams because they are purely organic. Other natural elements such as mint, arnica, coconut oil, and ginger are blended to improve their effectiveness. MCT oil is significant since it speeds up the rate of absorption for rapid effectiveness, which is important for muscle pain relief. Fayed (2019) stated that mint is effective because it offers a cooling effect on muscles and sores.

Extraction Method

For CBD products, the extraction method of obtaining various hemp plant extracts is vital. The method used determines the purity levels of your cream. Some methods, such as ethanol, are effective but likely contaminate the end products since they involve various chemicals. Rochfort (2020) noted that CO2 is the most effective method of obtaining hemp plant extracts such as terpenes and flavonoids. It involves minimum chemicals reducing the contamination chances. Therefore, consider CBD creams with CO2 hemp plant extracts.

The Lab Result

This is a crucial and mandatory requirement of any CBD product. Although potency levels might not be significant for topicals, purity levels are.

Purity Levels

Various companies use organic ingredients to minimize contamination and develop natural CBD products. However, depending on the chemicals used, they will likely be contaminated during extraction and manufacturing. Avoid CBD creams manufactured with numerous chemicals since they likely infiltrate the end products. Chemical reactions might cause skin irritation and burns or lower their effectiveness and potency levels.

Consider CBD brands assessing their products using IOS-certified labs. The best CBD manufacturers have centralized independent labs to help them confirm the purity levels at every manufacturing stage from the arrival of the raw materials. Avoid relying on posted purity levels since some companies lie.

The Price

Price is a factor in determining creams' quality, which is often undermined. Low prices are enticing but might lure users to poor quality. Before settling on any price, assess average prices across the board and go for the most reasonable deal. However, high prices have nothing to do with effectiveness. Besides the low or high price, always confirm the purity levels and the elements used to determine quality. Also, confirm the brand's reputation and ensure it has not been receiving warnings from the FDA regarding the safety of its products.

Conclusion

Muscle pain creams can only be effective if they are of high quality. Their quality is determined by the elements blended in and the role of each. Consider CBD topicals blended with organic ingredients such as MCT oil for speeding effectiveness and mint to provide a cooling effect for muscle pain. The purity levels are also important to help you determine the safety of your topicals. Contaminated CBD creams can cause skin burns or irritation. Some interfere with the products' effectiveness since chemical reactions lower their effectiveness. Before buying any hemp-based topical product, confirm it has been assessed for purity levels from an IOS-certified lab.

References

Eskander, J. P., Spall, J., Spall, A., Shah, R. V., & Kaye, A. D. (2020). Cannabidiol (CBD) as a treatment of acute and chronic back pain: A case series and literature review. J Opioid Manag, 16(3), 215-8.

de Assis, P. M., Ferrarini, E. G., Baldasso, G. M., Paes, R. S., Gouvêa, M. C., Segundo, C. E. N., ... & Raposo, N. R. B. (2021). Broad-spectrum Cannabis oil alleviates behavioral symptoms associated with stress-related anxiety and depression in mice. Pharmaceutical Sciences, 28(2), 239-250.

Fattore, L., & Fratta, W. (2011). Beyond THC: the new generation of cannabinoid

designer drugs. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 5, 60.

Gallily, R., Yekhtin, Z., & Hanuš, L. O. (2018). The anti-inflammatory properties of terpenoids from cannabis. Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 3(1), 282-290.

Goldenberg, G. (2017). Topical cannabinoids in dermatology. Cutis, 100, 50-52.

Fayed, M. A. (2019). Mentha Piperita L.-A promising dental care herb mainly against cariogenic bacteria. Universal Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 4(3), 33-38.

Rochfort, S., Isbel, A., Ezernieks, V., Elkins, A., Vincent, D., Deseo, M. A., & Spangenberg, G. C. (2020). Utilisation of design of experiments approach to optimise supercritical fluid extraction of medicinal cannabis. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 1-7.