How Topical CBD Balm Helped Me Recover from a Sprained Ankle

In early 2022, I sprained my ankle.

This was not a new experience for me: I’ve sprained each of my ankles close to half a dozen times a piece in the last 15 years. It’s a sensation I know well: one wrong step, a twist in the wrong direction, and weeks of pain and frustration.

The most annoying part of spraining your ankle is how much pain and discomfort a small injury can cause. But this time, I decided to try something different – CBD balm.

CBD Balm for Sprained Ankles (& Other Types of Pain)

Rather than reaching for pain pills (after an initial dose of ibuprofen to take away the sharp bite of pain), I turned to CBD balm. What would happen, I wondered, if I used topical cannabis treatments? I had several balms on hand already, and I had been researching the benefits of CBD for a while. And, best of all, unlike traditional painkillers, CBD offered the promise of relief without the tax on my liver or stomach discomfort.

I did almost no research before starting, instead choosing my time-honored tradition of fuck around and find out. My goal was to find out what would happen if I applied a balm multiple times a day. This was not done scientifically – I used multiple products at different times of the day with varying amounts of application. But much to my surprise, using CBD topical balms on my sprained ankle helped it to heal quickly.

Now a quick preface: CBD was not the sole treatment. I follow the RICE method for healing sprains and rest, ice, compression, and elevation are always important for my healing.

I used:

• Lucy’s Luck Lavender Salve
• Blooming Botanicals Healing Salve
• Miraflora CBD Recovery Balm
• Uh Huh Honey CBD Balm

The Miraflora proved to be the most effective at keeping swelling down and the pain at bay. I also liked this one because it’s got a menthol scent, something I associate with pain relief balms. I swapped the Lucy’s balm and Blooming Botanicals regularly and they both worked well. The balm from Uh Huh Honey helped the least, perhaps because the CBD concentration was too low.

My CBD Regimine

During the first week, I applied a CBD balm four times a day, gently massaging a generous amount of each balm onto my poor swollen ankle. It was tender to the touch but I didn’t find it unbearable. My ankle had turned a nasty purple/yellow color and after a few days of using CBD, I was pleasantly surprised to find the bruising was going down. My ankle was less swollen when I woke up and though it swelled throughout the day with use, it was still less swollen than I believe it would have been without CBD.

By the end of the first week, I was encouraged. I was still wrapping my ankle with an ace bandage when I needed to put weight on it and elevate it throughout the day and at night, but it seemed to be recovering faster than previous sprains. The bruising had faded to a slight yellow and by week two, it was only swollen in one small place in the morning.

In week 2, I applied the CBD balm 2 – 3 times a day. It was the first thing I did when I woke up and the last thing I did before going to bed. I still took it easy moving around but I felt more confident walking around the house without the bandage on.

Recovering from a sprained ankle is never quick. Trying to use it again too fast only results in making it worse (and I am not a professional athlete so I have no reason to push through “just a sprain”.) But by week three, it was clear I was making steady progress in healing my ankle with my CBD regimen. My bruising was nearly gone, the pain was minimal, and I was able to start some physical therapy movements I had picked up from previous sprains to regain mobility. During the third week, I applied the CBD at least once a day, more if I noticed I was struggling.

As someone who has been through multiple ankle sprains, I know what it takes to heal. Adding CBD to my toolbox helped me reduce swelling and regain mobility faster. This was not a scientific trial, but research supports CBD’s ability to help muscles heal, reduce swelling, and relieve pain when applied topically.

You don’t need to have a sprained muscle to benefit from topical CBD. It can help with athletic recovery, muscle relaxation, and general inflammation. What’s not to love about that?

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice. It is a reflection of my own experience and should not be taken as prescriptive.