How CBD Oil Changed This Professional Athlete’s Life

photo credit: thepostgame.com

Chronic pain is a daily reality for many of us, whether it’s from illness, injury, or surgery. Often, it’s also the result of our careers. Day after day of manual labor, sitting or standing for long periods, psychological stress, or repetitive motions can all cause pain that develops over months or years until it becomes disabling.

Unfortunately, this can also lead to dependence on opioids or narcotics, which former Major League pitcher David Wells knows all too well.

In an exclusive interview with ThePostGame, he explains how, over the course of his career, he was “plagued with injuries” which led to “grueling” physical therapy, surgeries, and ultimately, 16 years of opiate use.

What started as prescribed medication graduated to an illegally-obtained habit, as painkillers “became a part of [his] life.” Even after retiring from baseball, Wells continued taking opiates, until he discovered something that would change his life: CBD oil.

From ThePostGame:

For years, Wells says he was like many athletes who took painkillers such as Percocet on a regular basis: Sometimes after surgery. Sometimes just to get through another start while dealing with the grind of pitching. Sometimes recreationally. He continued using these painkillers even after he ended his 21-year MLB career in 2007. Then he tried CBD (cannabidiol), and Wells says he hasn’t touched an opioid since.

Wells had grown weary of the drugs’ after-effects — “I feel like crap” — and turned to CBD after watching a 60 Minutes story about how it helped cure a young girl in Colorado…”

“I wish I knew about it back when I played because I would’ve been all over it,” Wells told ThePostGame’s David Katz in an exclusive interview. “I would’ve took those risks. If they tested me — ‘hey, you got marijuana in your system’ — I’ll bring it to them: This is what it is. Dissect it. Take it in a lab and see what it’s about.”

Wells, who won the World Series with the Blue Jays in 1992 and the Yankees in 1998, had a career high of 20 wins in 2000 for Toronto. By then, his use of Percocet had increased.

“I’d say probably from ’99 on, probably 75-80 percent of the time I was on it,” he said.

Now Wells maintains an active lifestyle, full of golf and hunting and coaching high school baseball near his home in San Diego, without opioids.

“I just turned 53,” Wells said. “I’m three-and-a-half years painkiller free. That’s pretty good.”

Wells is now an advocate of CBD oil, and he encourages its acceptance and use among other professional athletes. You can check out the full interview over at ThePostGame.

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