The pain and stiffness you might feel after physical activity are signs that your body is functioning as it should. The lingering discomfort helps protect injured tissues from further damage. Whether those distress signals are triggered by a strenuous workout, a long day on the job, or a leisurely stroll, the message is clear. Your tender joints and muscles need time to heal.
How much time? That depends. Many people find that post-activity discomfort gets worse before it gets better. Depending on the cause, stiffness, inflammation, muscle fatigue, and other discomforts can last for days or longer.
If you’re still managing your symptoms with the same over-the-counter treatment you’ve relied on for years, maybe it’s time to rethink your approach. Over-use of those seemingly harmless products can cause a considerable number of troubling side effects.1 Based on a blind survey answered by CBDistillery™ customers, an overwhelming majority of our survey respondents report favorable results using our safe, natural hemp-derived products for stiffness, inflammation, and pain after physical activity.
Why Does Physical Activity Cause Pain and Stiffness?
The pain, stiffness, and reduced muscle strength that lingers after pushing your body to its physical limits, discomfort unrelated to serious injury, is a sign that your immune system is doing its job. Those uncomfortable sensations are most often the result of microscopic injuries to muscle fibers that help build strength and endurance. Your immune system responds by sending specialized white blood cells to the injured area to help remove cellular debris and initiate repairs. That response can cause considerable discomfort.2
The same white blood cells that help your body heal also release free radicals that can damage surrounding tissues. That’s why your muscles are likely to feel worse before they improve, a reaction known as delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). If you continue with similarly intense activities before your body heals, you could get caught in a frustrating cycle of repetitive injury and inflammation. Today’s relatively minor activity-related distress could eventually cause lasting harm.3
Why Are So Many People Using Natural Products for Relief?
There’s a rapidly growing trend in the health and wellness industry. Today’s health-conscious consumers seem to be turning away from pharmaceutical options that mask recurring symptoms in favor of products and services more likely to address the underlying cause of their discomfort. That observation is also used to explain why so many people are turning to holistic treatments, natural remedies, and herbal supplements that support overall health and wellness.4
The search for natural alternatives also explains why adults of all ages are investing in the many potential health and wellness benefits of naturally cultivated hemp. Although most of the evidence supporting the use of hemp for post-activity discomfort is based on laboratory tests, animal studies, and a limited number of clinical trials, a considerable number of people are reporting favorable results.
How Do Hemp Products Influence Post-Activity Pain and Discomfort?
A relatively short time ago, researchers made an important discovery that helps explain the health and wellness potential of hemp extracts. Decades of research eventually revealed a previously overlooked regulatory system influencing nearly every essential function in your body, your endocannabinoid system (ECS). There are three main components, the chemical messengers (agonists) produced in your body, their corresponding receptors, and the enzymes that break down the agonists once their message is delivered.5
The interaction between your ECS messengers and receptors is so essential for your overall health and wellbeing that many researchers believe ECS signaling regulates homeostasis, the internal balance essential for survival.6
Ideally, your body would make all the ECS messengers it needs to keep essential processes working efficiently. But life has a way of interjecting less-than-ideal circumstances. Illness, stress, and injuries can create a demand for ECS messengers that exceeds the supply. That’s where hemp fits into the ECS equation.
The oil extracted from the stalks, stems, and flowers of the plant contains numerous plant elements (phytocannabinoids) that also interact with ECS receptors. Individual results from using hemp products depends on which essential processes might benefit from ECS support. Research also shows that the most abundant of the many phytocannabinoids produced in the plant has considerable properties that could be beneficial for the pain, stiffness, and inflammation triggered by physical activity.
Why Choose CBDistillery™ Hemp-Derived Products?
The hemp industry is relatively new, so there are few regulatory standards firmly in place. That means product quality can vary significantly from one manufacturer to the next. Since the quality of the hemp-derived products you select will have a considerable impact on your overall experience, it’s important to select products from a reputable brand you can trust, a company like CBDistillery™.
Based in Colorado, CBDistillery™ is a vertically integrated company. That distinction means we oversee every aspect of production, from the cultivation of our naturally farmed hemp crops to the manufacturing and distribution of our third-party tested products.
That third-party testing is important. Why? Because consumers deserve hemp products that are as pure and potent as manufacturers claim. Third-party testing ensures product quality. Since any company can claim their products are third-party tested, CBDistillery™ was one of the first (if not the first) in our industry to post those test results on our site. You can access our third-party test results by viewing the images on our product pages or scanning the QR code on every CBDistillery™ product label.
Can Anyone Use Hemp Products for Post-Activity Discomfort?
There are many reasons to consider investing in the health and wellness potential of hemp-derived tinctures, capsules, topicals, and vape products. Based on data collected from nearly 2000 survey respondents, our customers report using CBDistillery™ hemp products for relaxation, better sleep, and less inflammation, stiffness, and discomfort after physical activity. Many (90%) prefer hemp over turmeric, a natural supplement often used to support athletic recovery.8
Although hemp products have an impressively low risk of side effects and are considered safe for most people, hemp-derived health and wellness products may not be right for everyone. Like many other plant oils, industrial hemp extracts can interact with several prescription and over-the-counter medications. If you have a medical condition or take medication, it’s important to consult your health care provider before purchasing hemp-derived products.
Sources:
1. Healthline. A Carter. (2020 March 10) Guide to Over-the-Counter (OTC) Anti-Inflammatories.
2. Active. M Fitgerald. (2020) Is Inflammation Holding You Back?
3. NHS. (2021 February 03) Why Do I Feel Pain After Exercise?
4. Investopedia. S Delventhal. (2020 February 29) New Generation of Consumers Increase Demand for Natural Products.
5. Brain and Neuroscience Advances. W Hourani, S Alexander. (2018 June 19) Cannabinoid Ligands, Receptors, and Enzymes: Pharmacological Tools and Therapeutic Potential.
6. Journal of Young Investigators. C Sallaberry, L Astern. (2018 June 01) The Endocannabinoid System, Our Universal Regulator.
7. Journals.Physiology.org. A Lingresti et al. (2016 September 14) From Phytocannabinoids to Cannabinoid Receptors and Endocannabinoids: Pleiotropic Physiological and Pathological Roles Through Complex Pharmacology.
8. WellSeek. M Radloff. (2019 May 04) Here’s How Turmeric Can Boost Recovery for Athletes.