Cbd Oil For Massage

Massage therapy has been used for thousands of years to relieve pain, reduce stress, and promote overall wellbeing. In recent years, cbd oil has emerged as a popular supplement with a wide range of potential health benefits. Combining cbd oil with massage can be an extremely effective way to enhance the healing and therapeutic effects of massage.

But what exactly is cbd oil? How does it work with massage to provide relief from conditions like chronic pain, anxiety, and inflammation? And is using cbd oil for massage safe and legal? This comprehensive guide answers all these questions and more.

What Is Cbd Oil?

Cbd stands for cannabidiol, a compound found in cannabis plants. Unlike the more well-known cannabinoid THC, cbd is non-psychoactive, meaning it will not get you “high”.

Cbd oil is extracted from the flowers, leaves and stalks of hemp plants. Hemp contains high concentrations of cbd and only trace amounts of THC. Cbd oil can be produced in a variety of forms including tinctures, capsules, topicals, vapes and more.

When ingested or applied topically, cbd interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), a complex cell-signaling network that helps regulate many essential functions like sleep, pain, mood, and immunity. Though research is still emerging, cbd is believed to influence endocannabinoid receptor activity, potentially altering the body’s response to pain, anxiety, and inflammation.

So in summary:

• Cbd is a non-psychoactive compound extracted from hemp
• It interacts with the body's ECS system
• Early research shows it may help relieve pain, anxiety, insomnia, etc

Now let’s take a closer look at the science behind using cbd oil for massage.

How Cbd Oil Enhances The Effects Of Massage Therapy

Massage has been practiced for thousands of years across many cultures. Various massage techniques are used to manipulate the muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons throughout the body.

Massage provides many scientifically-proven benefits, including:

• Reduced muscle tension, stiffness and pain
• Enhanced range of motion
• Improved circulation
• Lower stress hormone levels
• Boosted immunity
• Increased Endorphins ("feel good" hormones)

Adding cbd oil to massage can enhance these therapeutic effects. Here’s how:

1. Cbd Reduces Pain And Inflammation

Chronic pain affects 50 million Americans, making it one of the most common health complaints. Decreasing pain and inflammation is one of the primary uses for massage therapy.

Massage activates the parasympathetic nervous system, signaling the body to enter a deep state of relaxation. This reduces muscle tension and stiffness, increases blood flow, and releases pain-fighting endorphins.

Cbd is a potent anti-inflammatory agent that helps reduce pain, swelling and discomfort throughout the body. The combination of cbd with massage therapy provides enhanced pain relief by influencing cannabinoid receptor activity and decreasing inflammation.

For effective pain management, cbd massage oils and creams are applied topically to the affected areas. The cbd is absorbed through the skin where it interacts with local CB1 and CB2 receptors to help provide localized pain relief by reducing inflammation.

2. Cbd Promotes Deeper Relaxation

Massage promotes relaxation by lowering the body’s stress response. Sessions result in decreased levels of cortisol and adrenaline, stress hormones released in the sympathetic fight-or-flight response.

Cbd may enhance relaxation by influencing the serotonin receptors related to mood and stress response. Increasing serotonin signaling can improve symptoms linked to anxiety and depression.

The combined effect helps induce deeper relaxation by lowering stress hormone levels and calming the nervous system. This makes cbd massage an excellent option for anyone struggling with chronic anxiety, depression, insomnia or other stress-related conditions.

3. Cbd Improves Circulation And Delivery Of Nutrients

Massage boosts circulation by moving oxygenated blood through congested muscles. Improved circulation enhances delivery of nutrients and removal of metabolic waste.

Cbd helps dilate blood vessels while also providing antioxidant support to relieve oxidative stress. This helps maximize circulation and nutrient delivery for faster recovery and healing.

Increased blood flow also improves range of motion by transporting cbd and other healing compounds to joints and tissues. The combined effect helps speed recovery in damaged or inflamed areas.

4. Cbd Activates The Ecs To Balance Key Functions

The ECS helps regulate vital functions like mood, sleep, appetite, pain perception, immunity and more. Cbd acts as an exogenous cannabinoid that indirectly influences ECS receptor activity to help restore optimal balance.

Massage also helps activate the ECS to reduce pain and inflammation while promoting relaxation and emotional wellbeing. Using cbd during massage therapy provides synergy by enhancing ECS signaling across these pathways.

This interaction explains why cbd massage offers broad therapeutic potential spanning stress relief, pain management, anti-inflammation, improved sleep quality and more.

So in summary, adding cbd oil during massage therapy:

• Enhances pain and inflammation relief
• Promotes deeper relaxation
• Improves circulation and nutrient delivery
• Activates the ECS to restore balance

Next let’s look at the top conditions that may benefit from cbd massage.

Conditions That Benefit From Cbd Massage

Integrating cbd into massage therapy sessions can provide targeted relief for many chronic health complaints. Here are some of the top conditions that may benefit from cbd massage:

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain affects more people than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined. Musculoskeletal pain stemming from conditions like arthritis, injuries, fibromyalgia and nerve pain often respond poorly to medication.

Cbd massage offers a natural alternative by reducing inflammation and pain signals while relaxing muscles. Topical cbd can also deactivate trigger points and block pain at localized pain-perceiving nerves.

In one study, cbd applied topically significantly decreased arthritis-related inflammation and pain. Cbd massage oils and creams offer similar pain-relieving effects.

Anxiety And Depression

An estimated 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders. Depression similarly affects millions, with rates rising 33% since 2013 according to the WHO.

Cbd may help stabilize mood and reduce feelings of anxiety, stress and depression. Combining cbd with massage therapy provides compounded anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effects for superior stress relief.

Inflammation

Inflammation is the immune system’s natural response to harmful stimuli like pathogens or damaged cells. Acute inflammation resolves quickly, but chronic inflammation can persist for months or years.

Cbd has powerful anti-inflammatory properties that help regulate the inflammatory response. Using cbd during massage may provide enhanced relief by reducing pro-inflammatory immune signaling.

Sleep Issues

Around 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome. Chronic insomnia is linked to conditions like depression, anxiety, chronic pain and heart disease.

Evidence suggests cbd may improve sleep quality and duration, especially for those suffering from chronic pain and anxiety. The relaxing properties of massage combined with cbd’s anti-anxiety effects promote better sleep.

Autoimmune Conditions

Autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, lupus and Crohn’s disease cause the immune system to attack the body’s own healthy tissues. This results in systemic inflammation.

Cbd helps regulate the immune response and suppress inflammation. When paired with massage, cbd may help those suffering from autoimmune conditions find relief from pain, stiffness and swelling.

Neuropathy

Neuropathy causes nerve pain, tingling, numbness and other symptoms resulting from nerve damage. Common causes include diabetes, chemotherapy, injuries, autoimmune disorders and infections.

Applying cbd topically may help alleviate neuropathic pain by activating local cannabinoid receptors where neuropathy symptoms manifest. Pairing cbd with massage provides a natural way to manage nerve pain and discomfort.

Types of Cbd Massage Products

There are a variety of cbd massage products designed to enhance the therapeutic effects of massage:

Cbd Massage Oils And Lotions

Cbd massage oils and lotions can be directly applied to the skin during massage sessions. They provide topical absorption of cbd along with the skin-soothing benefits of carrier oils.

Oils are great for full body massages while lotions offer thicker texture for targeted relief. Most cbd topicals do not produce a strong “high” due to minimal absorption into the bloodstream.

Cbd Infused Massage Stones

Massage stones made from materials like marble or granite are heated or cooled and applied during massage. Infusing stones with cbd provides deeper penetration of cbd along with the benefits of thermal therapy.

Cbd Transdermal Patches

Transdermal cbd patches allow the cbd to gradually diffuse through the skin over time. Wearing a patch during massage therapy prolongs the effects while avoiding lung exposure from vaping.

Cbd Bath Salts And Bombs

Cbd bath products infuse bath water with therapeutic ingredients like Epsom salts, essential oils and cbd. Baths can enhance massage benefits by further relaxing muscles and joints.

How To Add Cbd To Massage Therapy Sessions

Adding cbd to your massage routine is easy. Here are some tips:

• Talk to your massage therapist - Make sure your massage therapist is comfortable using cbd products during sessions. Most therapists welcome cbd as a complimentary addition.
• Apply topically - Massage oils, lotions and transdermal patches applied directly to affected areas are the most common cbd delivery methods. This allows accurate dosing and tailored relief.
• Use heating/cooling therapy - Pair cbd massage with hot stones, cold stones or compresses. The combination enhances absorption while boosting circulation in sore tissues.
• Try before and after - Using cbd 15-30 minutes before massage promotes deep relaxation, while cbd after enhances flow of nutrients to stressed muscles.
• Take supplements - Ingesting cbd oil, capsules or edibles compliment topical use by providing full-body anti-inflammatory effects.
• Add aromatherapy - Essential oils like lavender, bergamot, rosemary and peppermint enhance relaxation and alertness during massage.

The key is finding your optimal mode, dosage and timing of cbd to target your massage therapy goals. Start low and increase gradually to find the best results.

Is Cbd Oil For Massage Safe? Are Cbd Massages Legal?

The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp-derived cbd products on a federal level in the United States, leading to an explosion of cbd’s popularity. Cbd massage falls into a legal gray area in some states, while remaining completely legal in others.

There are a few key factors determining the legality of cbd massage:

• Cbd type - Hemp-derived cbd products with less than 0.3% THC are legal federally, but marijuana-derived cbd remains illegal.
• State laws - Some states have specifically legalized cbd massage, while others prohibit the use of all CBD products. Check your state laws to ensure legality.
• Massage license – In some states, holding certain massage licenses allows the use of cbd, while basic massage licenses prohibit cbd.

When it comes to safety, researchers have found cbd to have a very high safety profile, especially compared to prescription medications. Mild side effects like diarrhea and fatigue are possible with excessive doses. As with any supplement, it’s best to start low and increase dosage gradually.

Talk to your massage therapist to ensure cbd massage is permitted in your state and safe based on your individual health profile.

The Takeaway: Cbd And Massage Work Better Together

Early research and anecdotal evidence strongly supports CBD massage as an effective way to enhance the benefits of massage therapy while reducing side effects. The combination of cbd with techniques like Swedish, deep tissue, trigger point or shiatsu massage may provide natural relief for conditions like chronic pain, anxiety, neuropathy, arthritis and more.

Thanks to massage’s ability to relax the body and cbd's influence on the ECS system, CBD massage offers natural, holistic healing. Relief can last for hours or even days following a session. Ongoing cbd massage therapy helps reduce inflammation, improve circulation, alleviate sore muscles and joints, reduce everyday aches and pains, and promote a sense of overall wellbeing.

Talk to your massage therapist or healthcare provider to see if adding cbd oil or cbd creams to your next massage may be right for you. With quality cbd massage products from reputable brands, you can safely incorporate the power of CBD into your massage therapy routine.

What are the different ways to use CBD during a massage?

There are several options for integrating CBD into massage therapy:

• CBD massage oils and lotions applied directly to the skin
• CBD-infused massage stones heated and used during massage
• CBD patches worn before or after the massage
• CBD bath bombs or salts added to water for soak before/after
• CBD edibles or supplements taken orally before massage

What does CBD feel like when used during a massage?

Most people report feeling enhanced relaxation and reductions in pain when using CBD during massage. The CBD helps induce deeper relaxation in the body and mind while also providing analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Many report reduced muscle soreness and joint pain after massage with CBD.

How is CBD massage different from a regular massage?

CBD adds specific pain-relieving, calming and balancing effects to massage through its interactions with the endocannabinoid system. CBD enhances massage’s natural benefits like increased circulation, reduced inflammation, and decreased muscle tension. The combination provides more holistic healing.

Can you become addicted to CBD massage?

No, CBD is not addictive and does not produce psychoactive effects. It simply helps balance natural systems in the body through its interactions with the ECS system. Regular massages with CBD can be safely incorporated into self-care routines without risk of dependency.

How long do the effects of a CBD massage last?

Most feel CBD’s effects for 2-4 hours after the massage. Effects like pain/inflammation relief may last up to a day or two. The more regularly you get a CBD massage, the longer the benefits seem to last between sessions. Ongoing CBD massages help reduce chronic pain and inflammation.

Is a CBD massage more expensive than a regular massage?

CBD massage usually costs slightly more than regular massage to account for the CBD products used. However, the benefits of CBD make this elevated cost worthwhile for pain management and overall wellness. Talk to your massage therapist about pricing.

Can you use too much CBD during a massage?

It's unlikely you would use too much CBD from massage creams or oils. However, new CBD users should start with low doses to assess tolerance. Excessively high oral doses of CBD may cause diarrhea or drowsiness. Talk to your masseuse about optimal CBD dosage.