How can DC offices leverage the upward trend of CBD chiropractic sales in 2023?
The new year heralded another successful 12-month period for CBD chiropractic sales in the industry. In 2022 it was reported that 35 million Americans visited a chiropractic office.¹ In conjunction, a study by the Center For Advancing Health (CFAH) found that 26% of Americans used CBD in 2022,² while 21% of men and 16% of American women have tried CBD products in the past year.
This data points to two things: the strength of chiropractic across the country and the rising popularity of CBD-based products.
Chiropractic visits keep rising
In 2022 the industry saw an increase in the number of people visiting chiropractic clinics across the country, with an estimated one million chiropractic adjustments performed every day, with 60% female patients.
The chiropractic market size is expected to grow at 2%³ year over year. DCs are viewed as much more than spinal adjusters, and are now being seen as leaders in alternative medicine.⁴ Many people are now turning from conventional, expensive medical treatments to more affordable and effective chiropractic care.
Chiropractors and the growth of CBD
Similar to the growth in chiropractic care, people are turning to CBD products as alternatives to other supplements and over-the-counter prescriptions. Approximately 64% of Americans⁵ have either tried CBD or are familiar with CBD, according to a Gallup study. That totals 64 million people,⁶ with the majority using CBD regularly in the last two years.
While 64% of people look to CBD to solve pain problems, 49% use CBD to help minimize stress, and 42% look to CBD to help them with sleeplessness.
Based on Oracle’s survey on the frequency of CBD use,⁷ 21% take CBD daily while 19% take CBD a few times a week. Of the survey respondents, 17% use CBD products once or a couple of times a month, and 25% are infrequent users.
Despite some setbacks due to slow regulation rollout, the CBD industry and CBD chiropractic sales continue to grow, and more products are being developed along the way. Forbes⁸ projected $20 billion in annual revenue by 2024. Cowen & Co, a New York-based investment bank, projected it will grow to about $15 billion in 2024.
CBD chiropractic sales: $5K a year
With this growing demand for alternative options to prescription drugs, paired with CBD’s popularity, DCs can join in by becoming partners with a reputable CBD manufacturer.
The first advantage of partnering with a CBD company is that DCs can do quality control. As opposed to their patients buying CBD from the CVS up the street, chiropractors can test the effectiveness of each product before recommending them to their patients. CBD, like all supplemental dietary aids, needs follow-up and supervision. When DCs have firsthand experience with the product, they know CBD chiropractic sales will benefit their patients.
The huge influx of CBD and hemp-labeled products in the market can open loopholes that non-third-party tested products can take advantage of. With DCs quality-checking and endorsing the products themselves, the risk of patients getting low-quality CBD products⁹ is mitigated.
The second advantage is DCs can earn extra profits while helping their patients between visits. According to one CBD company executive, “Our average DC office does $5,000 a year in CBD sales. Some offices do much more, some do less. The important thing to realize is that patients are buying CBD somewhere, so it makes sense for offices to carry it to provide the quality and potency needed.”
The last advantage of a CBD company partnership is that DCs can get involved in product development to address any issues their patients may have. Adding additional ingredients like glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM and other beneficial compounds only makes the CBD products better.
Some of the best CBD products include:
Magnesium Balm — Patients prefer products that are easy to carry and apply, so it’s no surprise that balms are at the top of the list. Most magnesium balms in the market are designed to alleviate pain,¹º whether it’s in the back, knee, or shoulder pain. Balms work well, especially for older customers. The compactness of balm makes it an excellent recommendation for people suffering from joint and muscle pain.
Muscle Gel — Muscle gel works best for patients with very active lifestyles. Muscle gel works similarly to magnesium balm but differs in consistency and a few other ingredients. Most CBD muscle gels on the market contain menthol, which acts as a double pain relief ingredient, making it ideal for people doing heavy workouts. Others have additional active ingredients like capsaicin which have been studied for its effect on blocking nerves from receiving pain signals.¹¹
Gummies (particularly for sleep) — DCs can find a plethora of gummy types available in the market. These gummies address sleep, immunity boosting, energy, and even calming anxiety. Approximately 70% of Americans don’t get a good night’s sleep at least once a month. Others, at 11%, report not getting enough sleep every night.¹² For DCs with sleep-deprived patients, CBD gummies are a good product recommendation to consider. Patients can pick from plain CBD to Delta 8 or Delta 9 variants.
Sleep Capsules (0% THC) — Similar in function to CBD gummies, but unlike its gummy counterpart, these capsules contain 0% THC. It can be easily carried and stored in small bags for traveling. They also offer an alternative to gummies if a DC’s patients want another form of CBD for sleep.
Delta 9 Gummies — Another type that’s proven popular among patients is Delta 9 gummies. Delta 9, according to studies, has some therapeutic benefits,¹³ such as reducing nausea, helping with relaxation, promoting appetite,¹⁴ and possibly providing a focus boost.
The products mentioned above are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the CBD chiropractic sales and products available for affiliate marketing. DCs can determine what works for their clinics by starting with these top five sellers.
Picking a CBD company
One key thing to note when selecting a CBD company is third-party testing. Third-party testing validates that the ingredients, especially the CBD content, are up to state standards. Many companies that don’t have a certificate of analysis for the products they release to the public are popping up now.
These CBD companies are giving an open invitation for the FDA to halt their production and terminate their business. As professional practitioners, DCs should avoid partnering with companies the FDA penalizes. It is bad for practice and can have adverse effects on patients taking products produced by such companies.
The second thing DCs should consider is the product offering. Will the products they want to promote in their clinics match their patients’ lifestyles? DCs can start with a selected number of products before adding more to their repertoire of products.
JOE KRYSZAK, MBA, is president of Stirling Professional CBD, the brand built by and for chiropractors and professional offices, giving back to the chiropractic industry. Since 2014, Stirling has grown, extracted and produced the purest CBD available. Stirling Professional brings amazing CBD+ products to patients with the industry-leading lineup of 2,500-mg CBD lotions, THC and THC-free capsules and gels, and four great solutions for better sleep, bringing affordable solutions to patients. For more information, go to stirlingprofessional.com.
Resources:
- https://www.thegoodbody.com/chiropractic-statistics-facts/#:~:text=2022%20Chiropractic%20Key%20Statistics%3A,likely%20to%20visit%20a%20chiropractor
- https://cfah.org/cbd-statistics/
- https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/market-size/chiropractors-united-states/#:~:text=The%20market%20size%20of%20the%20Chiropractors%20industry%20is%20expected%20to,average%20between%202018%20and%202023.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2875758/
- https://daks2k3a4ib2z.cloudfront.net/595e80a3d32ef41bfa200178/59946dd86c6b200001c5b9cb_CBD_-_HelloMD_Brightfield_Study_-_Expert_Report_-_FINAL.pdf
- https://www.consumerreports.org/cbd/cbd-goes-mainstream/
- https://cbdoracle.com/news/cbd-statistics/
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/irisdorbian/2019/05/20/cbd-market-could-reach-20-billion-by-2024-says-new-study/?sh=19fb19449d05
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7723146/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507245/#:~:text=Magnesium%20has%20been%20shown%20to,et%20al.%2C%202003).
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6272969/
- https://www.sleephealth.org/sleep-health/the-state-of-sleephealth-in-america/#:~:text=In%20America%2C%2070%25%20of%20adults,report%20insufficient%20sleep%20every%20night.&text=It%20is%20estimated%20that%20sleep,all%20ages%20and%20socioeconomic%20classes.
- https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-delta-9#overall-effects
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15302527/
