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Best CBD for Sports Injuries

In modern living, there's rarely a healthy balance between the time spent working and the time you use to engage in other activities. While it's understandable why people commit so much time to work, it's unfortunate that they tend to forget about the most important thing — their health.

Indeed, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, the Dalai Lama responded, "Man. Because he sacrifices his health to make money, then sacrifices money to regain his health."

One way to stay healthy is by remaining active. Multiple studies have shown the importance of leading an active lifestyle. The benefits of physical activity are almost innumerable and range from a strong cardiovascular system to a healthy heart to weight control and better immunity.

However, an active lifestyle can have side effects that most people consider a turn-off — injuries. When the effects of staying active start to kick in, the excitement can make you overdo things. This can lead to injuries that may need special attention.

If you've been considering a safe and effective natural supplement for sports-related injuries, think about CBD.

CBD is one of 100+ cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. Its more famous cousin, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is known for the "high" associated with marijuana. Others include the lesser-known cannabinol (CBN) and cannabigerol (CBG).

The healing powers of CBD continue to reinforce the notion that nature always has a solution to humanity's problems. And who would have thought that a plant as maligned and disparaged as cannabis might have so many health benefits?

An ever-expanding body of research coupled with anecdotal evidence has shown many of CBD's potential health benefits. As a result, CBD has gained considerable traction in sports as athletes increasingly turn to it to manage sports-related injuries due to its excellent safety profile. We’ll examine some of the best CBD products for sports injuries and discuss how they may benefit your performance and well-being.

What are the 10 most common sports injuries?

soccer playing being helped up

If you're into sports and all things physical fitness, you're aware of the risks that accompany the lifestyle. According to the CDC, millions of people get injured yearly from sports, most of which are caused by falls. Here are the ten most common sports injuries that you should watch out for:

  • Sprains: Among the most common injuries in sports, sprains happen when a joint ligament stretches or tears, causing swelling, pain, and bruising.
  • Strains: Don't let the rhyme confuse you — strains and sprains are different. A strain occurs when muscle tissue is torn or overstretched.
  • Runner’s knee: Surveys suggest this problem might account for as much as 55% of sports injuries. Caused by repetitive motion, the symptoms include pain in the kneecap region, swelling, or a “grinding” sensation when the knee is bent.
  • Shin splints: Shin splints result from tendons or muscles around the shin getting inflamed by repetitive stress, leading to persistent pain.
  • ACL injury: Injuries to the tough elastic tissues that provide stability to the knee are caused by sudden changes in movement — slowing down or speeding up too quickly.
  • Concussion: A brain injury caused by a blunt force or trauma to the head. Concussions require immediate medical attention and can cause symptoms like headache, nausea, slurred speech, confusion, and dizziness.
  • Dislocation: When the end of a bone moves out of its normal position, it can cause swelling, extreme pain, and a limited range of motion in the injured area.
  • Broken bones: It's relatively easy to detect a broken bone, but the typical symptoms are sudden pain, numbness, swelling, and a near-total lack of mobility.
  • Achilles tendon injuries: Injuries to the Achilles tendon — the thick corded tissue that connects the calf muscle to the heel — are most common in sports that involve lots of running. They typically result from a lack of stretching before starting a strenuous activity.
  • Jumper’s knee: These injuries are common in sports that involve repetitive jumping, and occur when the muscle tissues connecting the kneecap, thigh muscles, and shin bone become inflamed.

How CBD can help inflammation and injury

Cannabidiol might have several helpful effects on recovering from injuries. This may be due in part to its ability to moderate inflammation, the immune system response that causes swelling, tenderness, redness, soreness, and stiffness.

A moderate amount of inflammation can trigger healing. Unfortunately, the immune system’s response isn’t perfectly calibrated, and excessive inflammation may impair healing instead of promoting it, as well as damaging healthy tissue.

Although there’s still debate within the scientific community about CBD’s effects on healing, we have some evidence that it could help with sports injuries in several ways:

  • Reducing inflammation-related damage: A 2019 study on CBD's anti-inflammatory properties suggests that it could reduce oxidative stress, which can damage muscles, joints, and tendons after an injury.
  • Promoting muscle regeneration: An experiment in athletes practicing intensive resistance training found evidence that supplementing with CBD led to faster muscle recovery and improved performance in squat exercises.
  • Protecting against brain injury: Mice treated with cannabidiol showed reduced effects from traumatic brain injuries, indicating that CBD might help protect against concussions or chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
  • Decreasing pain: Though reports are mixed, some studies show that CBD can reduce acute pain. This could help you resume mobility after an injury, which is known to have positive effects on recovery.
  • Lowering anxiety: Mental stress can significantly delay the healing process. CBD could counteract this effect through its ability to decrease anxiety and depression.
  • Improving sleep: The science on CBD and sleep isn’t settled, but multiple studies suggest it can enhance restful sleep — a key factor in bouncing back from injury.

It's worth pointing out that research on CBD is still in its early stages, so more work will be needed to confirm the effects described above. However, countless satisfied users swear by the benefits of CBD for sports-related injuries.

Best CBD For Sports Injuries — Creams, Oils, and More

a female athlete exercising indoors

Without any further ado, here are some CBD-based products that are great for sports injuries, arranged by category.

Best CBD Creams and Salves For Sports Injuries

Topical ointments can be among the best CBD products for athlete recovery since they allow you to target the precise area where you’re experiencing pain, stiffness, or swelling. Our favorites include:

FOCL Deep Relief Cooling Cream

For those sore muscles and joint aches, try FOCL’s Deep Relief CBD cream. This topical preparation combines seven powerful but soothing botanicals with premium hemp CBD to reduce pain and inflammation, relax the muscles, and reduce stiffness. The delicious cooling sensations of wintergreen and eucalyptus offer immediate relief, while arnica and camphor keep swelling and soreness in check. It’s the perfect way to use CBD for neck pain, knee soreness, and other workout-related pain.

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Aspen Green Relief Full Spectrum CBD Cooling Cream

A specialized emulsion process helps this CBD cream absorb more quickly and efficiently into the bloodstream, potentially enabling faster action. The formula is all-natural and includes helpful herbal ingredients like tea tree oil and calendula extract. However, the price is high for a relatively small jar.

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CBDfx CBG + CBD Lotion for Muscle & Joint

This lotion pairs CBD with CBG, a lesser-known cannabinoid that’s gaining a strong reputation for pain and inflammation relief. Customers can choose between a menthol-enriched Cooling Formula or a camphor-infused Heating Formula depending on their preferred sensation. Just note that this is also a pricey cream, and some reviewers say it can be hard to dispense once it starts running low.

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Best Roll-On CBD For Sports Injuries

Roll-on products are another way to apply topical CBD that may be less messy and more convenient for some users. Good options include:

PlusCBD Roll-On Cooling Topical

Containing camphor and menthol for both heating and cooling sensations, PlusCBD’s topical formula is free of parabens, sulfates, and other potentially harmful ingredients. It’s also THC-free, so you can use it with zero worries about drug tests.

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cbdMD Broad Spectrum CBD Freeze Rollers

This fast-drying gel includes aloe, tea tree oil, and arnica to create a powerful cooling feel. It’s available in three different strengths: 750, 1500, or 3000 mg total CBD. The company uses broad-spectrum hemp extract, removing the THC but keeping the other helpful cannabinoid compounds that may contribute to CBD’s effects.

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CBD For Life Roll On Oil

Several relaxing botanicals work together with CBD isolate to give this roll-on topical its pain-relieving effects. Like FOCL, CBD For Life has its products tested by third-party labs to ensure they’re contaminant-free. Note that the CBD content of their roll-on stick is relatively low, so it may not work well if you have a high tolerance.

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Best CBD Gummies For Sports Injuries

man in track suit jogging on concrete road

Gummies and other edible CBD products have long-lasting effects that can build up in your system over time. This could guard against injuries by keeping you relaxed as well as helping you recover if you do hurt yourself. Top choices include:

FOCL Daily Calm CBD Gummies

If you want a well-rounded, all-natural edible to help you deal with injuries and discomfort, our premium CBD gummies are your best bet. Each delicious gummy contains 25 mg of high-quality broad-spectrum or full-spectrum hemp extract to help you overcome pain and stress while keeping your inflammatory response under control. These are our preferred CBD gummies for back pain, muscle strain, jumper’s knee, and more. Like all our products, they’re crafted according to unyielding quality standards and independently tested for purity.

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Cornbread Hemp Full Spectrum CBD Gummies

These certified organic gummies include a bit of THC along with their full-spectrum CBD. This may enhance their pain-relieving properties, though users without a high tolerance will need to watch out for unwanted effects like intoxication, confusion, and anxiety. Cornbread offers three different strength options, from 30 mg to 120 mg per gummy.

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Charlotte’s Web CBD Muscle Recovery Gummies

Along with CBD, Charlotte’s Web gummies include ginger and turmeric, two botanicals that may further boost inflammation relief. They include a relatively low dose of CBD — just 10 mg per gummy — so they may be best suited to new users with a low cannabinoid tolerance.

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Best CBD Oil for Sports Injuries

Using CBD oil for muscle recovery gives you lots of flexibility. You can drop it under your tongue for fast-acting systemic relief, massage it into the affected area, or mix it into your post-workout smoothie. Whatever your preference, we recommend the following products:

FOCL Daily Calm Full Spectrum Drops

Our high-quality CBD drops contain full-spectrum CBD mixed in organic MCT oil to supercharge your endocannabinoid system. You can select one of two different strength options (1000 mg and 3000 mg) and three fantastic flavors, or choose an unflavored hemp option if you enjoy its earthy taste. This is the go-to product if you want to manage physical pain, sleeplessness, and stressors like anxiety.

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Medterra Max Relief Oil Tincture

Available in Citrus or Chocolate Mint flavors, Medterra’s CBD oil is made from USA-grown hemp and includes a modest dose of THC for additional pain relief and mood support. Each serving includes 50 mg of CBD, plus trace amounts of the other helpful cannabinoids and terpenes found in hemp.

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Aspen Green Relief Organic Full Spectrum CBD Oil

Aspen Green’s CBD oil is among the most highly concentrated options available, containing 133 mg of CBD and 2.5 mg of THC in each 1 ml serving. That said, much like their gummies, it’s quite expensive compared to most competitors. You may want to give it a try if lower-dose products aren’t giving you the relief you need.

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High-Quality CBD Can Support Your Recovery

Pump-top dispenser with gray and blue label

Whether you’re eating CBD gummies to ease muscle spasms, rubbing sore muscles with CBD cream, or using CBD oil for stress relief and sleep during recovery, it’s critical to choose a reputable source. Far too many CBD suppliers are careless about quality control, selling products with unreliable dosages or even harmful impurities.

FOCL offers a better alternative. Our products are derived from organic, domestically grown hemp and crafted according to exacting clean manufacturing standards. Then they’re tested by ISO-certified independent laboratories to verify their cannabinoid content and ensure they’re contaminant-free.

Any of the FOCL products we’ve highlighted above can support an active and healthy lifestyle. Readers who are seeking something even more potent could try our Chill Out Full Spectrum+ Gummies, which include a mild dose of THC for additional pain relief and an L-theanine nutritional supplement to improve your resilience to stress. Visit the linked product page and enjoy the natural healing properties of hemp-derived CBD.