Injured Professional Athletes Report Significant Pain Relief Using Topical CBD Cream - Study Results

In a groundbreaking 2023 study, researchers found promising results for using topical CBD as a safe and effective option for pain management in elite athletes. The study followed 20 former professional athletes, who received a six-week treatment of twice-daily applications of 10mg of topical CBD cream, totaling 20mg of CBD daily. The participants reported a remarkable improvement in pain relief and related disability, including difficulty with family responsibilities, work, and recreational activities. These results offer new hope for athletes struggling with chronic pain.

The study recruited 20 former collegiate athletes who advanced to a professional league within their chosen sport. Participants included former athletes from sports such as US/American football, track and field, and basketball who had experienced an acute injury in the lower extremities that caused chronic pain for at least 3 months before study initiation.

Prior to the study, athletes had explored several treatment options, including surgical repair, prescription, and over-the-counter pain relief medications, and non-pharmacological treatments.

All 20 participants reported improvement in their pain-related disability after using the topical CBD treatment. Specifically, 100% reported improvement in family/home responsibilities and sexual function, 93% reported improvement in recreational, social, occupational, and life-support activities, and 86% reported improvement in self-care. These improvements were statistically significant, as there was a significant decrease in reported disability due to pain from intake to exit. Overall, the treatment provided participants with a better quality of life.

This study was the first to test the effectiveness and tolerability of topical CBD treatment in elite athletes with chronic lower extremity pain. The results showed that 70% of the participants tolerated the treatment to completion, with only minor adverse effects reported.

The most commonly reported adverse effects were mild skin irritation and dryness, which occurred in only a few participants during the first few days of treatment and quickly resolved. These minor adverse effects were consistent with those reported in other studies of topical CBD, suggesting they were very minor in nature. The use of self-reported data was a limitation of the study, but the findings suggest that topical CBD may be well-tolerated and provide relief from pain for elite athletes. Further studies using larger, randomized, and controlled samples are needed to confirm these results.

This study is the first of its kind to investigate the use of topical CBD for pain management in former professional athletes. These findings offer a promising new option for athletes who are struggling with chronic pain and may be hesitant to use traditional pain management methods, such as opioids. The results demonstrate the promising potential of this treatment option, with significant improvements in pain levels and pain-related disability reported by all participants. The fact that the treatment was well-tolerated, with only minor and transient adverse effects, is also noteworthy. Overall, this study adds to the growing body of evidence supporting the use of CBD as a viable alternative to traditional pain medications.