Benefits of CBD for Seniors
With the increasing number of U.S. states welcoming legislation making cannabis legal, both recreationally and medically, there are new products being particularly tailored for seniors. Cannabidiol (CBD) is one such product, and comes in various forms.
There are multiple delivery methods of CBD, including:
- CBD-infused oil
- Vapor
- Ingestible tinctures
- CBD pillow
- Edibles
- Topical cream
- CBD-infused textiles
Because CBD isn't psychoactive, won’t make you high, and has many potential positive effects, it seems to be particularly welcoming to the aging population. In fact, a 2019 Consumer Reports survey reveals 23% of adults aged 43 to 59 and 15% of seniors 60 and older use CBD. These numbers are only expected to rise as more people experience and share the benefits of CBD.
Benefits of CBD for Seniors
There are multiple potential benefits of CBD for senior citizens, including:
- Pain Relief
Around 75 to 85% of seniors are struggling with chronic pain. People have known for some time that cannabis can work like a pain reliever, and even better than or to the same extent as prescription painkillers. CBD-infused creams could potentially help soothe aching joints and muscles.
Animal studies show CBD can have some analgesic effect, in addition to anti-inflammatory properties. And, a cross-sectional study of cannabidiol users revealed that nearly 62% of CBD users reported using CBD to treat pain, anxiety, and/or depression.
- Arthritis
Nearly 50% of seniors struggle with arthritis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Two common forms of arthritis are:
- Osteoarthritis: OA is a degenerative condition affecting your joint bones and cartilage, leading to stiffness and pain. It often impacts the knee, hip, and thumb joints.
- Rheumatoid arthritis: RA is an autoimmune condition where your immune system attacks your joints. This causes inflammation. It often affects the feet and hands, and causes swollen, painful, and stiff joints.
Certain animal studies show CBD might help in the treatment of arthritis, and ease the related inflammatory pain. For instance:
- One animal study in 2014 showed CBD might be an effective OA treatment.
- Another animal study in 2016 found topical CBD application had the potential of relieving inflammation and pain linked with arthritis.
- A 2017 study suggested CBD may be a useful and safe OA joint pain treatment.
- Cannabidiol and Sleep Disorders
CBD for sleep may help seniors. Sleep is very important. When you sleep, your body regenerates, and flushes out harmful toxins that could accumulate. If you don't get the sleep your body needs, your body could suffer negative consequences, and even turn into a sleep disorder like insomnia.
Insomnia and poor sleep are problems older adults often experience, leaving their bodies weaker, and not ready for fighting off infections. About 50% of adults over the age of 65 have some kind of sleep disorder. The cause of this isn’t clear, but theories are that it is a result of normal aging, or due to medicines that older people commonly use. CBD for sleep disorders might be the answer.
But, can CBD really help you sleep better?
Many studies have found CBD provides potential relaxing benefits, and may be able to fight symptoms of insomnia, and improve the quality of sleep in seniors.
In fact, the Remedy Review survey of more than 1,000 seniors showed around 38.6% of older adults who tried CBD said they tried it to fight insomnia, and improve their sleep. Over 45% said after they took CBD, it immensely improved their sleep quality, even if they didn't originally try it for this reason.
Prescription medicines might cause depression in seniors, according to some experts, and this can have negative effects on sleep quality and patterns. With CBD products, you might be able to eliminate some of these medications, which can reinstate homeostasis, and help you fall asleep quicker.
If stress, anxiety, or depression is causing you to experience sleep problems, CBD might be able to help ease these conditions, leading to a deeper, more sound sleep.
- Inflammation
One study in 2011 showed CBD could potentially help decrease inflammatory pain in rats through the way it impacted how pain receptors respond to stimuli.
When CBD is applied to the skin, it may help reduce inflammation caused by arthritis.
Seniors already ingest a number of different chemical pills, medicines, and products. Therefore, they're already flooding their systems with toxins, and may become dependent on these medicines. By introducing seniors to CBD products, it might help them tackle their various health problems, fight traditional medication dependency, and offer a better quality of life.
- Improved Quality of Life
In the Remedy Review survey discussed earlier, more than 50% of seniors said they had an improved quality of life after taking CBD. And, nearly 90% said they would recommend CBD to their friends and family for health issues.
Sleep With a CBD-Infused Pillow
One way seniors can obtain their CBD is by using a CBD-infused pillow. CBD-infused pillows are soft, comfortable, and free of toxins. They provide microdoses of CBD through your skin, which is delivered throughout your body, providing you with all of CBD's potential beneficial properties.
These pillows come with:
- No THC certification
- CBD potency certification
- No microbial impurities certification
- No pesticides certification
- And more
To experience the benefits of CBD for yourself as you sleep, try a CBD-infused pillow today!