biking

Road Rash And Marijuana Are Not A Good Match

Published

1 year ago

July 12, 2023

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Over 2 million Americans and Canadians are injured each year from popular summertime activities, according to hospital tracking data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Everyone wants to head out and try something fun. Biking, hiking, bouldering, pickle ball, tennis, and more get us on our feet and outside. While fun and healthy, it is also an invitation to scraps, cuts and bruises. Road rash is a common injury introduced to toddlers and part of every day life as you continue to age.

What is road rash? It happens to your skin when it gets scraped off by a hard surface or contacts a smooth surface for an extended period. For example, falling while using a treadmill, off of a bicycle, or a tumble on the pickle ball court can cause road rash. An open wound needing time to heal and have skin grow back over the exposed body. But does marijuana help with road rash or wounds?

person in black and white nike sneakers holding blue and white tennis racket

Marijuana can definitely help with pain management and inflammation. Research suggests, the THC in medical marijuana helps us work through soreness and strain by reducing inflammation at injury sites and by modulating pain signals as they travel to the brain.

BUT, it does not clear it helps with road rash for a couple of reasons. There has not been significant research done on this topic, but a one study showed it did not make any difference in the healing process of the open wound.

If you use a THC topical cream over the wound before covering it up with a bandage, make sure you check to ensure it is helpful within a day. A small amount of research says it might help, but nothing has been proven and you don’t want unnecessary scarring.

Traditional smoking of cannabis, joints, pre-rolls, bongs and bowls are not helpful either. While it could help pain management like ibuprofen, the carbon monoxide in cannabis smoke inhibits blood oxygenation and decreases blood flow, which could lead to tissue death, more scarring and slower wound healing.

group of people in white long sleeve shirt and green pants standing on rocky ground

The best way to treat road rash is clean the injury thoroughly, then apply an antibiotic ointment such as Bacitracin or Neosporin. This will help kill any bad bacteria which may have come in contact with your wound. Apply the ointment carefully to not cause more bleeding. Cover the road rash with a clean bandage. Check to make sure the wound stays moist and is covered until the wound is completely covered with new skin. An exposed cut will pick up dirt and debris from the air. A wound that heals in a moist environment is less likely to leave a scar.

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biking

Summer injury? Medical Marijuana Could Help!

Published

1 year ago

June 24, 2023

admin

Summer is the here and the time to enjoy the outdoors! Going on a picnic, a boat cruise, a bike ride, a hike, a swim – all great activities. Taking a stroll in the neighborhood, pickle ball tournaments or just having a bbq. All part of summer fun. But researchers concluded individuals are at a higher risk of injury during these months due to an increase in daylight hours and popular outdoor activities.

So maybe medical marijuana can help when things turn a bit spicy during the summer.

Better With Marijuana — Photo by Christopher Jolly via Unsplash

The biggest way cannabis can help is with pain. When medical marijuana is used, cannabinoid receptors in your ECS bind with cannabinoids called THC. THC binds with cannabinoid receptors starting an anti-inflammatory response which prevents inflammation and muscle spasms after an injury.

Patients claim that marijuana allows them to resume their previous activities without feeling completely out of it and disengaged. Marijuana is said to be a fantastic muscle relaxant and people swear by its ability to lessen tremors in Parkinson’s disease.

For deep injuries, medical marijuana does little to help since there is not a way for it to reach the pain point.

For direct injury treatment, think of applying straight to the muscle area. Topicals, balms or cremes are rich cannabinoid-infused products designed to be applied to sore and aching muscles. Be sure to read the label carefully. Depending on their formulation, some THC topicals could impart psychoactive effects, while most will not.

As with tinctures, vapes can be used to dispense high-THC cannabis to your whole system and is a gentle and effective way to address aches, strains, and muscular pain.

Medical Marijuana Is Too Strong For Pain Relief, Says Researchers — Photo by roungroat via rawpixel

For twisted back, ankles, hands and other joint areas, consider the bigger picture. Follow your doctor’s advice and recommendations for handling sprains will suggest heat, ice and a few days of bed rest. Some my suggest prescription painkillers but be warned narcotic drugs are potent and addictive. Medical marijuana can be a sound alternative with an edible, a vape or an oil. It can make recovery much quicker.

Enjoy the sun, enjoy the summer, and make sure you have a bit of cannabis in case something goes wrong.

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