There is a high prevalence of chronic pain in our society, which is detrimental at an individual and country level. Cannabidiol (CBD) has been proposed as a promising treatment for chronic pain, although more high-quality studies are needed in this area. On the other hand, triathlon, running, cycling, and swimming are sports modalities that have an increasing professionalism and importance, albeit not exempt from injuries.
The main goal of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a topical treatment for recurrent chronic pain caused by tendinopathies with a cream containing CBD in triathletes, runners, cyclists, and swimmers. Consequently, the research question for this study is the following: Can the CBD cream be effective in treating chronic pain? The investigators hypothesize that the cream will be able to affect the pain, both in the short and the long term.
The study will be interventional, with a crossover, randomized, and double-blinded design. Two groups of participants will be generated, as well as two treatment options (CBD cream, and a similar one without the CBD). The subjects will apply one of the treatments for one month, followed by a wash-out week without any cream application, and another month with the other treatment. During these weeks, different parameters will be controlled via online questionnaires.
The analyzed variables will include the following: Chronic pain, acute pain, wellness, perceived exertion, quality of life, and satisfaction with the treatment. Different statistical tests will be applied to the collected data, comparing their means and correlations to infer the results.