Do you have a headache? Did you sleep funny last night and now it hurts to move your neck? Did you just get back from the gym, or do you suffer from a chronic pain condition? If so, you might want to reach for CBD as a better alternative for pain relief. With no side effects, CBD is often a great choice in place of your OTC pain medications.

Who wins the CBD vs. Tylenol or Aleve fight?

Depending on the type of pain you’re experiencing, using OTC pain medications may actually inhibit your recovery. Anti-inflammatory drugs may interfere with the normal type of muscle recovery that should be occurring. CBD, on the other hand, offers the same pain relief—without blunting your body’s natural healing process. That’s great news for anyone who hit the gym a little too hard yesterday.

How CBD relieves pain

CBD is derived from the cannabis or hemp plant. Unlike THC, it does not contain any psychoactive side effects. This makes it safe to use at any time of the day, even when driving or operating heavy machinery. Most hemp extracts contain about 40 percent CBD, along with carrier oils or other ingredients to help maximize pain relief.

When you ingest a CBD product, it affects the neurotransmitters in your brain—the same ones that produce that elusive “runner’s high.” Taking CBD helps your brain reprocess the physical sensations of pain, so you’re not left hobbling around until your muscles relax again.

Athletes are particularly excited about CBD pain relief. The creams, balms and salves are good for relaxing muscles and relieving localized pain, while ingestible or smokable versions offer anti-inflammatory, anti-stress and analgesic effects.

Even the World Health Organization agrees: they’ve published studies asserting that there are no adverse health outcomes associated with ingesting CBD. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to approve a CBD-based medication, Epidiolex, which is designed to treat rare and severe types of epilepsy. Should the drug be approved, experts predict that CBD products will experience a massive boom. FDA approval will offer a sense of legitimacy to CBD-based medications, and will ensure supplements are regulated and dosed appropriately.

Which type of CBD product should you use?

When choosing a CBD pain relief product, consider how you’d prefer to use it. For localized pain and inflammation, a topical treatment can be helpful. For general pain relief, consider using a smokable, vape or ingestible type of product. CBD comes in creams, oils, sublingual drops, vapes and smokable flower. Most people prefer to use ingestible versions, thanks to the easy portability and convenience. Start with the lowest recommended dose, then add more if additional pain relief is needed.

Not sure which CBD product is right for you? Reach out to the team at Serym Pro today. We specialize in high-quality CBD products, suitable for treating a variety of ailments. Shop online or give us a call today to learn more about how you can get pain relief—and no side effects—from CBD.