By Andrea Holmes, PhD
Many tennis and pickleball players experience an aching elbow condition, which is a form of tendonitis that causes pain and inflammation in the tendons that connect the forearm to the elbow. If left untreated, pickleball elbow could cause serious problems like limiting the elbow's range of motion, resulting in chronic pain and weakening the grip. Treating golfer’s elbow includes cooling with ice, braces, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, physical therapy, and cortisone injections.
What is missing in these treatments is a plant-derived, safe, and potent anti-inflammatory that binds directly to the receptors in the central nervous system. CBD is a non-intoxicating component of Cannabis sativa and binds to the receptors in the central nervous system.
Painful conditions like tennis elbow are ideally suited for treatment with oral and topical CBD products. The oral products can be used in the form of tablets, gel-caps, sublingual tinctures or in powdered stick packs that can be dissolved in water. Topical formulations containing CBD and sometimes other co-actives like menthol can be applied directly to the elbow include creams, balms, lotions, sprays, roll on and tape that attaches directly to the painful area.
CBD also holds promise to provide a calming effect by reducing nervous tension symptoms. This is due to the fact that CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system affecting nerves that regulates homeostasis in the body. For pickleball players concerned about unsteady hands when swinging the racket, this calming effect of CBD and other cannabinoids could be very interesting to help with the steadiness.
While there is still more evidence needed to establish CBD’s benefit versus the risks, more and more research emerges showing the benefits of CBD not only for chronic pain but also for sleep improvement and quality of life. Therefore, pickleball and tennis players would benefit from CBD not only for conditions specific to the elbow, but for overall health and wellness.
Sources:
Villanueva MRB, Joshaghani N, Villa N, Badla O, Goit R, Saddik SE, Dawood SN, Rabih AM, Niaj A, Raman A, Uprety M, Calero M, Khan S. Efficacy, Safety, and Regulation of Cannabidiol on Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review. Cureus. 2022 Jul 16;14(7):e26913. doi: 10.7759/cureus.26913. PMID: 35860716; PMCID: PMC9288157.
Kaul, M., Zee, P.C. & Sahni, A.S. Effects of Cannabinoids on Sleep and their Therapeutic Potential for Sleep Disorders. Neurotherapeutics 18, 217–227 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-021-01013-w
Shannon S, Lewis N, Lee H, Hughes S. Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series. Perm J. 2019;23:18-041. doi: 10.7812/TPP/18-041. PMID: 30624194; PMCID: PMC6326553.
