Joint pain, arthritis, athletic injury- these are usually chronic problems the human race has to deal with day to day. Throughout history, healers and doctors alike have been obsessed with trying to figure out how to best alleviate the symptoms in order to make daily living more enjoyable. There’s been thousands of ways developed for pain management existing in both western pharmacy and old age herbalism. Recently, there has been a spike in popularity in choosing a natural approach to manage pain symptoms, especially after wide-spread opioid use instigated an addiction epidemic. Many have probably seen CBD as a natural approach to pain management, as its popularity has saturated the health market and store shelves- but is there an alternative that could outperform it?
People who have not seen results with CBD muscle balms are looking for other natural alternatives
CBD was recommended to me by a friend after I was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (This is a syndrome where your joints dislocate daily and your muscle fibers aren’t properly connected to your bones). With this condition, my symptoms of pain are chronic and the only option my doctors had suggested at the time was long term opioid pain medication. I tested using CBD twice a day topically on my body to avoid opioid reliance and unfortunately my expectations fell short. As with all types of medicine and health, each person varies in terms of treatment and need. Although I know there are people out there that truly enjoy strictly CBD treatment, I felt there was a vast majority of herbal research that was yet to be discovered for a new pain management product on the market. As I delve deeper to find more answers on the efficiency and potency of CBD, I found other concerns-
Harsh Chemicals in Cannabis Cultivation can disrupt bio-development of CBD integrity
Cannabis Growing has become one of the highest priced-per-yield crop of the 21st Century but has compromised its health benefits through cutting costs and greed emphasizing. The same way we have seen carcinogenic fertilizers used and banned in the food agriculture industry, we are seeing it equally pop up in the Cannabis Sector. From my personal opinion, this relates back to why the food industry started doing it- Increase profit margin and yield while disregarding end-use health benefit. The most startling information I found in my research was the fact many cannabis advocates have tried to bring this issue to the attention of the jurisdiction regulators in order to provide more safety to end-use CBD products; but to no prevail. Unfortunately, this safety issue doesn’t end with just the cultivation of CBD plants.
Current unregulated processes of CBD extraction pose risks to end-use product
Extraction methods for raw ingredients is the most important step of product efficiency and long term benefits. Unfortunately, the market of CBD is highly unregulated and extraction methods can vary in both safety and purity. This was first publicized when the Cannabis Market released safety issues revolving around the Delta-8 THC- customers reported having dangerous adverse effects like lack of body control and psychosis. This was later revealed to be caused by dangerous extraction methods where solvent chemicals were left in the ingredient batch. This issue falls back into the CBD industry because the extraction methods there are also unregulated and chemical solvents can be left over in the product you’re buying off the shelf.
What is a great alternative to CBD Muscle Balms?
There are lists of herbal ingredients that provide analgesic muscle effects without the need for dangerous cultivation and extraction methods. At Dandelyons, I’ve made it my mission to research and develop products based around safety and prioritized customer’s health over profit. In my search to create a potent and pure compound that could finally relieve my symptoms of chronic pain- I have developed our very own Muscle Balm. Throughout my herbalism studies, I have found both beauty and solace in the teaching of the human race’s ancestors from all around the world; which I will be highlighting below with respect and honesty-
Dandelyons Muscle Balm Ingredient Index
- Dandelions (Global) – Despite being regarded as a “weed”, Dandelions are a powerhouse of nutrition and holistic healing topically. The herb has a concentration of taraxesterol, which has been proven to have significant attributes to alleviate muscle inflammation. This compound can help regulate white blood cells which will help your body disregard future reactions to triggered inflammation.
- Oregano (Greek) – While usually used as an anti-viral herb used for colds (while acting as a natural alternative to anti-biotics), new clinical research has been observing anti-inflammatory properties with pain relief. Through trials, researchers are recording a decrease in pain bio-markers- further proving oregano has a variety of uses clinically.
- Arnica (Poland) – Arnica’s biggest strength as a herb is its advanced anti-septic and anti-inflammatory properties for pain + bruise relief. Blood flow circulation is key for relieving pain due to how your blood stream is responsible for delivering vitamins and antioxidants to affected areas.
- Shea Butter (Ghana) – Shea butter has swept the world for it’s vast list of uses- ranging from acne to relieving skin inflammation. I’ve observed many products on the market adding this ingredient to anti-inflammatory creams, but will be listed at the very bottom of the ingredient list due to low percentage. I’ve included Shea Butter as a top contender within our Muscle Balm because I trust the fat/oil content to preserve and deliver the rest of the product’s herbs for a long-acting pain release vehicle.
- Ashwagandha (India) – Many have probably heard of Ashwagandha through its adaptogen properties, but in our formulation we are specifically highlighting its muscle relaxation benefits. Within Vedic Culture, it is considered one of the holiest of herbs and is related to the Rig Veda myth of the Ashwini Horse Twins. “Ashwaganda” translates to “The Smell of a Horse”, which brings the connection back to the medicinal story of the horse twins; they are the Devatas, or gods, that first received the knowledge of Ayurveda from a rishi. This herb represents the birth of Ayurvedic Healing in general and can be honored through many vessels of herbal practice.
- Yan Hu Suo (China) – Also known by the name “Cordyalis”, this herb is brought to the world through TCM or Traditional Chinese Medicine. Within the TCM school of philosophy, our bodies are constantly being energized by “QI” or the subtle lifeforce of reality. With Yan Hu Suo, you can activate the vital QI and blood flow in order to reduce both external and internal pain. There have been clinical studies relating this herb to a subtle alternative to morphine- without any psychoactive or habit-forming side effects.
I believe in a holistic approach to healing and rather giving our muscle balm emphasis on just one herb (compared to the CBD industry), we are highlighting our entire force of Mother Earth’s natural healing power directly to you- avoiding all dangerous extraction and cultivation methods.
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