With time and consistency, tendonitis isn’t hard to treat (or prevent). But that doesn’t mean you need to be in pain while you’re waiting for your body to heal.
It also doesn’t mean that you have to take over-the-counter painkillers: CBD is an all-natural option that promotes healthy inflammatory and pain responses and has benefits for those struggling with tendonitis.
TAKEAWAYS:
- Studies suggest that CBD can reduce inflammation and pain, and this likely also applies to tendonitis-related discomfort.
- CBD topical cream or salve can be applied directly to the affected area, where it can absorb and promote calming deep under the skin.
- CBD oil and edibles can promote comprehensive, full-body relaxation in the face of tendonitis.
What is CBD?
CBD is a cannabinoid that naturally occurs in the hemp plant. It’s one of more than 100+ cannabinoids that are found in hemp.
CBD is one of the most popular cannabinoids out there because of its wide range of uses and benefits.
Preliminary research indicates that CBD may be effective for pain, anxiety, stress, sleep disturbances, inflammation, and much more.
What is Tendonitis?
Tendonitis (also spelled “tendinitis”) is the inflammation of the tendons, the thick fibrous cords that attach your muscles to your bones.
Tendonitis is characterized by feelings of pain and tenderness just outside the affected joint. It can happen in any tendon, but it most commonly occurs in the shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and heels.
Types of Tendonitis
There are a few main types of tendonitis:
- Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) — Characterized by pain in the forearm and inside of your elbow on the side of your arm closest to you, when your arm is by your side with your palm facing backward. Tennis elbow is caused by damage to the tendons that bend the wrist away from the palm.
- Medial epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow or baseball elbow) — With golfer’s elbow, pain is felt from the elbow to the wrist on the inside of the forearm. This type of tendonitis is caused by damage to the tendons that bend the wrist toward the palm.
- Rotator cuff tendonitis (biceps tendonitis) — A shoulder disorder that causes inflammation of the shoulder capsule and related tendons.
- DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis — The most common type of tenosynovitis, which is a type of tendonitis. DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis is swelling of the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist that attach to the base of the thumb.
- Trigger finger or trigger thumb tenosynovitis — Characterized by the tendon sheathes in your fingers and/or thumbs becoming inflamed and thickened. This makes extending or flexing your fingers or thumbs very difficult, and may also cause your finger or thumb to lock, or “trigger”, suddenly.
Symptoms of Tendonitis
The symptoms of tendonitis vary depending on the type, but generally include some or all of the following:
- Feelings of pain in a tendon that get worse during movement
- Difficulty moving the affected joint
- Experiencing a grating or crackling sensation when you move the affected tendon
- Swelling of or near the affected area, sometimes with warmth or redness
Common Treatments For Tendonitis
Treating tendonitis may be as simple as resting the affected area. However, it may also involve medication. Here are the most common ways tendonitis is treated:
- Home remedies — Resting can improve tendonitis. Ice also works, be it applying an icepack or soaking in an ice and water bath. Compression of the affected joint can also help to reduce swelling.
- Physical therapy — Physical therapy is commonly used to help tendonitis patients recover full range of motion in the affected joints.
- Medications — Anti-inflammatory drugs, like aspirin and ibuprofen, can help reduce tendonitis pain. Pain relief creams can also help. Steroid shots are also sometimes used for tendonitis pain, though they have to be used sparingly.
- Surgery and related procedures — If your tendon is badly injured, surgical repair may be required. Another treatment for tendonitis is dry needling, in which small holes are made in the tendon with a very fine needle in order to stimulate healing.
An Alternative: Does CBD Help With Tendonitis?
The answer is most likely yes.
There isn’t much research on using CBD for tendonitis, however, there is research on using CBD for arthritis, to which tendonitis is closely related. CBD has also generally been shown to be beneficial for inflammation and pain.
One study concluded that topical CBD application (on the skin) has therapeutic potential for arthritis pain and inflammation.
Another review found that CBD oil has anti-inflammatory properties for rheumatoid conditions, including arthritis.
Arthritis is the inflammation within a joint or directly around it, whereas tendonitis is the inflammation of the tendons, which connect muscles to bones.
Both conditions occur in the same areas of your body — your joints — and as CBD has been shown to be beneficial for arthritis-related pain and inflammation, it’s likely beneficial for tendonitis, too.
Benefits of CBD for Tendonitis: How It Helps
There are four main specific benefits that CBD has for tendonitis.
CBD May Help Reduce Pain Signals
A variety of studies have shown that CBD has analgesic, or pain-killing effects, and pain from tendonitis is no exception.
There are several potential explanations for how this works. Some scientists think that CBD inhibits neurotransmitters that play a role in pain signaling, thereby reducing the pain that you feel.
CBD May Help Inflammation
Research and anecdotal evidence suggest CBD may have anti-inflammatory effects. As tendonitis is a form of inflammation, this may mean CBD has therapeutic benefits for those struggling with it.
CBD Can Help with Stress and Anxiety
Dealing with any condition can be stress- and anxiety-inducing, and these feelings often make things worse.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that CBD can promote mental relaxation and render benefits for those dealing with stress or anxiety.
Therefore, CBD may be helpful for addressing some of the secondary discomforts and worries that come with tendonitis.
CBD Can Promote Sleep
If tendonitis-related discomfort is preventing you from sleeping well at night, CBD may be able to help.
Science has shown CBD to be beneficial in promoting restful sleep, and anecdotal evidence supports this, too.
You won’t find weak, ineffective, or dangerous products here. Only high-strength, American-made CBD products that have been 3rd-party lab tested. You deserve better.
Which CBD Product Should You Use for Tendonitis?
If you’ve tried shopping for CBD, you know there are quite a few types of products out there. But which should you buy for tendonitis? Here are your options.
The Three Types of CBD
Before discussing products, it’s important to be aware that there are three different types of CBD:
- Full-Spectrum — Primarily CBD, but contain other cannabinoids that naturally occur in hemp, such as CBG, CBN, CBC, and THC, as well as terpenes. This is the most effective type of CBD because you also get the benefits from other cannabinoids. All the cannabinoids work together to provide amplified benefits — what is known as “the entourage effect.”
- Broad-Spectrum — The same as full-spectrum CBD, but without THC. A good option if you have to undergo drug testing and can’t have THC in your system.
- Isolate — Just CBD, with no other cannabinoids.
For tendonitis, full-spectrum CBD is generally your best bet (unless you can’t take it for drug testing reasons).
This is because the other cannabinoids it contains have benefits for inflammation, pain, sleep, anxiety, and so forth.
Topical (Creams, Roll-Ons)
CBD topicals, such as CBD cream, roll-on, salve, and so on, offer a way to deliver targeted relaxation to the affected joints. Applied topically, CBD can start working in just 10-15 minutes.
The downside with topical CBD products is that you won’t get full-body benefits. Although the topical can soothe your joint, it won’t reduce any pain you’re already feeling (or help with sleep, anxiety, or stress) because it doesn’t deliver CBD to your bloodstream.
Sublingual (Oils/Tinctures)
Sublingual CBD (CBD oil) is taken under the tongue. CBD oil works in just 10-15 minutes, as topicals do, but it delivers relaxation throughout the body, rather than locally. CBD oil can also be dosed down to the drop.
The only downside of sublingual CBD is taste — CBD oil can be a bit bitter.
Oral (Edibles, Drinks, Capsules)
Oral CBD, be it an edible, drink, or capsule, is a quick, great-tasting way to get CBD. And as with sublingual consumption, you’ll get mental and physical relaxation if you ingest CBD orally. The effect can be felt in 45 minutes to 1 hour.
CBD Dosage for Tendonitis
For tendonitis, we recommend starting with a medium-strength dosage of CBD. You can calculate it using this formula:
(0.3) x (your body weight in lbs) = your daily dosage of CBD in mg.
For example, if you’re 150 lbs, you’ll start by taking 45mg of CBD per day.
As you go, you can dial this dosage up or down depending on how you feel after taking it.
Side Effects of CBD
Though CBD has many benefits for tendonitis, it also has a few side effects to be aware of:
- Nausea
- Dry Mouth
- Drowsiness
- Diarrhea
- Reduced appetite
- Fatigue
If you start with small doses and work your way up, these side effects will either be very mild or not an issue at all.
Conclusion: Can CBD Help With Tendonitis?
Though CBD is not a treatment for tendonitis, it has the therapeutic potential to help manage the pain, inflammation, and other problems that come with tendonitis.
Just be sure to speak with your doctor before using CBD — they have the knowledge and experience to know whether it’s a good option for you, or if you need to pursue other methods of managing and treating tendonitis.
CBD for Tendonitis: Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions we’re commonly asked about using CBD for tendonitis.
Does CBD cream work on tendonitis?
Yes. CBD cream can be applied directly to the affected area to help promote comfort on and below the skin. This can be beneficial for tendonitis-related inflammation and pain.
Does CBD help tendon inflammation?
CBD may have anti-inflammatory effects when used for tendonitis, however, more research is needed. Generally, CBD can promote comfort and a normal, healthy inflammatory response.
Does CBD oil help Achilles tendonitis?
Scientific evidence suggests CBD has anti-inflammatory and analgesic, or pain-killing properties. Anecdotally, CBD is beneficial for many types of tendonitis, including Achilles tendonitis.
Does CBD cream help with muscle inflammation?
Anecdotally, people have found CBD useful for exercise-induced muscle inflammation and discomfort, however, it hasn’t been studied as a verified treatment for these purposes.
