Sometime between the age of 30 and 35, it dawned on me that I wasn’t quite as young as I used to be. For one thing, post-midnight weekends are now (and forever) a thing of the past. But even things I once took for granted—an impromptu four-mile run, riding an extra horse or two at the barn, or even crouching too long in front of my computer—can have lasting repercussions.  

I’m a freelance writer, and during a particularly stressful period last spring, I found myself juggling multiple deadlines, planning an imminent international trip, and dealing with the usual family stressors. I handled it by logging extra hours in front of my laptop whenever I could, which usually meant slouching through early mornings and late nights while tapping away in bed. The result was an extremely painful pinched nerve in my neck, which upon returning from my trip to Ireland, spiraled out of control. I couldn’t turn my head a degree to the right or left, and sleeping was almost unbearable. 

Were it not for the 600 mg cannabis lotion for muscle recovery that I applied to my neck and shoulders twice a day, I don’t know what I would have done. Massage, acupuncture, and regular stretching eventually helped to resolve the issue, but more than anything, it was a waiting game. 

How it Helps

CBD lotion, which I had originally purchased from the local spa where I receive sports massages, helped to dull the throbbing pain and relax my overly taxed neck and shoulder muscles. More importantly, it provided enough relief to allow me to fall asleep at night, something that before I thought to use it was next to impossible. 

I still keep my CBD lotion on my nightstand and use it nightly for my riding-related aches and pains—some of them thanks to my 7-year-old jumper, ironically named ‘Cannabae’ after his sire, Canabis Z! But above all, I’m grateful for the relief that it provided me last spring. Without it, bridging the gap while my body healed would have been so much more difficult.