If you are a professional athlete or someone who plays sports seriously, you know how easily sports injuries can occur. Whether you’re a high-profile athlete or someone who simply loves to play pickup football or soccer, the sports in our society require you to protect your body and your mind at all times. As one of the most exciting, yet oftentimes dangerous sports, the professional athlete knows that he is also putting his body through extreme physical stress. While certain players may be more prone to sports-related injuries, many others have been known to sustain serious injury just from playing sports.
While it may seem obvious that professional athletes are at a higher risk for sports-related injuries, there is still some controversy as to whether or not the injuries are truly due to their profession or if they are the result of “natural” occurrences. Athletes are often compared to bodybuilders and other athletes who put on a lot of muscle without actually being in a lot of physical exertion. While muscle may sometimes be a contributing factor, there is no way to determine whether or not the muscles of professional athletes are causing their sports-related injuries. Many athletes are unaware of the fact that they are taking an active role in their bodybuilding while wearing a protective helmet and padding.
While the debate continues as to whether or not sports injuries are caused by the natural ability of the body or by excessive use of force, most medical cannabis users can agree that they are truly caused by long-term abuse. It has been well documented that marijuana tends to reduce the level of dopamine in the brain, which can lead to feelings of euphoria and even addiction. Even chronic pain sufferers recognize that relief can be found through the application of medical marijuana.
Unfortunately, many athletes who are dealing with sports injuries are hesitant to seek treatment. Many professionals in the National Football League have advocated the liberalization of marijuana use among players. This is because they feel it is not proven that cannabis is even addictive or damaging in this fashion. Still, the NFL has insisted that its players follow the league’s strenuous standards of personal hygiene. Some of these standards include taking showers before playing games, as well as limiting alcohol and tobacco consumption.
Whether or not the use of medical cannabis is beneficial in alleviating the pain of injuries sustained during play, the consensus seems to be that it certainly does help. According to one national survey, over half of all participants indicated that they felt less pain following the ingestion of medicinal cannabis. For many long-term pain sufferers, this reduction in chronic pain is the primary benefit of medical cannabis use. Other results from the survey suggested that users were less likely to report feeling dependent on the drug and that they were able to better manage their pain.
The use of medical cannabis by professional athletes may be particularly important given the significant cost of rehabilitation and therapy associated with injury. For many professional athletes, recovery from an injury can often mean a costly misspent season, missing time from work, and an inability to participate in the sport of their choice. For these players, medical cannabis may provide an answer to some of the challenges they face every year.