Cannabidiol (CBD) has been studied as a way to help with pain and inflammation of RA. I know that it helps in other things as well, like my mom’s fibro and sometimes when she has chest discomfort from a cold. I won’t pretend that I had my doubts about how much it could help the RA pain. I’m nothing if not a cautious convert.
I also have to admit that it takes a lot to make me think twice about using Tiger Balm when I start to get achey.
But… When I won one of Vicki’s contests at Rainbow Sky, the prize I opted for was XXX special BooBoo Salve from Vicki’s Rainbow Sky Trading Company. Rainbow Sky has some of the most interesting things. I’ve been a long time fan of her BooBoo oil and salve. It helps my headaches. It helps when I have scrapes, bug bites and poison ivy. She is a close family friend and when I won (one of the winners) one of her contests, she offered to make me up some special booboo salve. She mixed some CBD oil in with the other oils. It smells a lot like the regular booboo oil, which is a mixture of 43 (44 with my current mixture) essential oils in an all natural base. It works really well in its “regular” formulation but the addition of the CBD really gives it some amazing kick. On days when my back aches, days when my wrist of my fingers scream, it helps.
Only down side to BooBoo oil/salve is that it has a scent. I like the scent, but since Bear has been having symptoms (and now diagnosis of) IPF, it triggers (so does my Tiger Balm) a spate of coughing. It’s not so bad when I’m in a different part of the house or not in the same place as he is, but if I’m in the car with him, or in the same room with him, it triggers him pretty badly. I know that a lot of people have a problem with heavy scents, even if they aren’t “chemical” based (and hey, it’s not like H2O isn’t a chemical or anything… so… yeah). I’m becoming more and more aware of that sensitivity as time goes on… I try to be gentle with my fellow humans, as much as I can.
There have been times when I have really wanted to put on something to take the edge off. Booboo oil… or salve… Tiger Balm… SOMETHING… but… I don’t want to cause more pain than I have to. I have been where I know I would trigger him if I had used anything scented and I have gone without until I could be somewhere where it would dissipate before I was back near him. The scent isn’t that strong, and honestly I like it as much as I like the Tiger Balm smell, but easing his breathing is paramount in my mind.
About the same time as Vicki was making me my special concoction, I got a sidebar from someone at Outch and they pointed out that Outch Ointment is a CBD and Chinese herb infused topical. And that CBD is widely reported to improve the quality of life of those suffering from RA (as well as many other conditions). It provides a safe, natural alternative to other methods used for chronic pain relief.
I was chagrined to admit that I had never really researched CBD. I had never never tried it. I knew it helped (not really topically, but orally) with Epilepsy and with chronic pain. I have professed to be as holistic as I can be and yet I never tried this?
I looked up Outch. It was started by Brian Bowen, “a traditional Chinese medicine herbalist and nationally certified acupuncturist” from Colorado. I read their “about us” pages and really liked what I read on The Philosophy page. He kind of reminds me of a doctor version of Vicki.
So, I let the representative from Outch send me a free sample of Outch. I got a tube of the roll-on (adds camphor and menthol to the ointment version) and a pocket sized jar of the ointment. The Outch ointment combines the ease of pain with the added benefit of having absolutely no scent. I’m not sure how that works or how they managed it, but I can use the ointment in the car or sitting beside bear in the living room without triggering a coughing spell.
Today, I ordered a 1.7 oz jar of the ointment from Outch so I can routinely refill the little jar that came in the mail as the sample and I can just toss it in my bag and use it whenever I am around people. I will be saving up a bit of extra money over the next month or so to send to Vicki to make me up another batch of her BooBoo salve with the CBD in it, too. I’ll be saving for a bottle of the roll-on Outch, too because I really like the cool tingle on my back when I rub it into the muscle spasms.
I hadn’t done the research.
I had never tried CBD.
I am a convert.
Am I 100% convinced that it will cure RA? No, I’m not convinced. Am I certain that it helps when I ache? Yes. Even on the steamy, too warm, too humid days we have been having in up-state Ohio recently. EVEN when I’ve been typing too much or crocheting too much or pushing too hard mowing the grass… it helps take the pain away without resorting to pills.
Haven’t tried CBD? I highly recommend a trial. You can get straight CBD from Vicki to try or one of the mixes that these to places have. What can it hurt? You might be out a couple cups of coffee from either shop, but if it helps, it’s well worth it.
Love and Light
April
7/22/17
A Figment Of Fitness 