CBD has been identified as a cure for many things such as nagging back pain, did you know there was something else that could help and is a bit cheaper, maybe even free – stretching!
Whether you are a weekend warrior or at a desk all day, we can all benefit from a daily stretching routine to relieve chronic aches and pains. Stretching improves blood flow to the muscles and helps relieve the muscular tension that causes pain. Stretching can also provide increased flexibility and strengthening to prevent repeat injuries.
Why Stretching Should be Part of Your Treatment
The composition of our muscles and other tissues changes as we age. Our bodies begin to replace the pliable muscle fibers (elastin) with stiffer tissue. Tendons, which attach muscle to bone, and fascia and ligaments, which attach bone to bone, also stiffen up as they lose fluid with age.
A lack of flexibility can lead to and even make worse a number of chronic and acute joint and muscle issues including neck, lower back and knee pain. Injuries can make the problem worse by creating scar tissue that prevents normal movement in parts of the muscle and fascia, making both less mobile.
While we have all been told to eat right and exercise, it should come with a caveat – stretch! We enjoy going out for a jog, bike ride, or swim but most don’t like to come back home and stretch. Exercise, which causes the muscles to contract, needs to be balanced with flexibility moves that counteract the repetitive contractions. Sooner or later muscles may become so tight they throw the body’s alignment out of whack.
How does it help?
Proper stretching can help align the body including the joints of the shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. When the body is properly aligned inflammation of the joints is reduced and mobility is increased. On the other hand, if you have super tight muscles then your joints are going to become less mobile and lose their natural lubrication resulting in pain and stiffness.
Regular stretching can:
- Provide relief from joint pain
- Decrease muscle stiffness
- Reduce the risk of injury
- Improve range of motion and flexibility
- Help you achieve better posture
Your thigh bone connected from your knee bone…
While it’s the straw that may break the camels back, it’s usually just a small twist or reach that creates a piercing pain and lands us with an achy back or compressed nerve. A flexible muscle is less likely to become injured if you have to make a sudden move.
We often forget interconnection of our body parts. Stretching different parts of your body can provide relief to places you may not have realized. If your back hurts we address those areas, but even stretching out your legs and hips can provide much needed back relief. Likewise, stretching out your back can release compression of the spine helping out shoulder and neck pain.
A lack of stretching will catch up with almost everyone
There are many ways to develop a good stretching route. Working with a physical therapist other professional trainer is a good place to start. Many gyms and specialty and yoga studios offer a range of classes. Many of these offerings can also be found online. It’s important to listen to your body! Continue to explore different approaches and remember to pay attention to what works for you.
One of our favorite online classes at the CBD Garage is the downdog app. The app allows the user to design a yoga routine for any ability through artificial intelligence. You also don’t need a bike to make use of apps like Peleton. They also offer classes in stretching, foam rolling, and yoga.
Rome wasn’t built in a day
Unfortunately, relieving muscular tension isn’t something that can be accomplished in 5 seconds. Relieving chronic pain may require weeks or even months of regular stretching to successfully reduce pain. Luckily, if you stretch consistently, you can significant increases in flexibility in just one month.
While you are stretching, it’s a good thing there are many CBD products to help reduce inflammation and discomfort along the way. Many of the most popular products are those that are manufactured to increase their bioavailability or the rate at which a product is absorbed and made available to the body.
Our favorite Bioavailable CBD Hemp Products:
Quicksilver Scientific Hemp Extract
Quicksilver Scientific’s proprietary nanoemulsion technology dramatically enhances absorption and delivery of a full range of CBD and other cannabinoids, offering rapid action throughout the body.
Health in Harmony utilizes an amazing delivery system – VESIsorb® – which naturally speeds up the absorption of complex compounds while also dramatically increasing the bioavailability.
Arcanum Quill™ Transdermal Gel Pen
The Quill™ Transdermal Gel Pen provides specialized topical application of full spectrum CBD hemp extract for comprehensive wellness. Quill™ offers quick relief and supplementation for the whole body.
Not sure where to start, take our CBD quiz to help us select the best products for you.
And, of course, contact our CBD health advisors if you have any questions!