When it comes to broken bones, researchers are finding that CBD, the nonpsychoactive element of cannabis, can help heal and even strengthen bones. About a year ago I broke my big toe. There really isn’t a lot that can be done for a broken toe, so I endured the pain and walked on the outside of my foot. But, because it was swelling and didn’t fit in my shoe, I used Lost Remedy Joint and Muscle Relief. The swelling did indeed abate, but by the time I got around to getting an X-ray (several weeks later) the image showed my toe was already healing nicely, thank you very much.
Later I learned that CBD may have assisted with faster healing, which for someone like me with osteopenia (pre-osteoporosis) is kind of a big deal. When I started researching why, I learned that a study in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research found that fractures heal faster and the bone is stronger when CBD is introduced.
“We found that CBD alone makes bones stronger during healing, enhancing the maturation of the collagenous matrix, which provides the basis for new mineralization of bone tissue,” said Dr. Yankel Gabet, one of the lead researchers, in a statement. “After being treated with CBD, the healed bone will be harder to break in the future.”
In the case of osteoporosis, a degenerative loss of bone tissue, which in turn can cause fractures at the slightest bump, CBD can improve bone strength with few if any side effects. In this instance ingesting CBD may be a more efficient way to strengthen bones overall and inhibit bone loss.
Ingesting CBD and using topicals either alone or together can help speed up recovery from a fracture. The reason is simple. In the endocannabinoid system present in every body, CB2 is the receptor responsible for bone metabolism. It is present in osteoblasts (bone-forming cells) and osteoclasts (bone resorbing cells). Using CBD stimulates the CB2 receptors to kick-start bone formation.
As I always say, more research needs to be done to definitively claim that CBD should be the go-to for healing broken bones or avoiding osteoporosis. But it probably won’t hurt to use it. Besides, it has so many therapeutic properties that it can possibly help.