Is CBD Oil for Arthritis Really That Good?

CBD Oil for Arthritis

If you’ve come here because you were searching for CBD oil for arthritis, it’s probably because either you or someone close to you is suffering from it. However, do you have a clear idea of what exactly arthritis entails?

You may associate the disease with swollen, red joints and you may be absolutely right. Up to a point, that is. There are over 100 types of arthritis, each with its own unpleasant causes and features. In most cases, the condition causes an uncomfortable feeling, and this is where CBD oil for arthritis pain kicks in. Other consequences have a lot to do with inflammation, which is another strong point of CBD oil benefits.

In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at the causes of arthritis. Bearing in mind the possible disturbing outcomes (some cases have to be resolved by surgery), it is essential to gather as much information as possible. Fortunately, CBD seems to bring some rays of sunshine.

Let’s see what it’s all about.

What Is Arthritis?

Before we go on discussing marijuana for arthritis, here are a couple of basic arthritis statistics and facts:

  • About 54 million adult Americans are diagnosed with arthritis
  • 300,000 children are affected by it
  • It is more prevalent in women than in men
  • Most common types include degenerative arthritis, inflammatory, infectious, and metabolic arthritis.

Their causes can be genetic or brought on by the environment, (un)healthy habits, stress, weight, other diseases, repetitive actions, and so on. Osteoarthritis is the most common type, which normally appears with age, and cannabis cream for arthritis is often used as a help to reduce the symptoms by rubbing it into sore points.

Still, there are types of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which is basically an autoimmune disease. In short, your body creates inflammations over the whole body, not just joints. Thus, arthritis can affect the liver or kidneys, for instance.

Therefore, arthritis is far from being an old people’s disease. It is more complex than one has bargained for. Luckily, CBD has plenty of health advantages that can come to the rescue.

What Is CBD Oil?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is usually what we have in mind when discussing medical marijuana for arthritis, or any other illness or disease. As a matter of fact, the CBD industry has turned into a billion-dollar venture, breaking new records every day.

So what is that CBD all about?

CBD is one of two main cannabinoids in the cannabis plant(s). No, it is not psychoactive in the least, and it negates the psychoactive effect of THC, its counterpart. While people have known about cannabis and how to use CBD oil for pain and other ailments for centuries, only recently has science made enough progress to unveil its qualities and interpret them properly. After all, THC and CBD were discovered not so long ago.

CBD oil can be found in many forms (CBD cream,pills, tinctures, etc.), but in essence, it is CBD, a substance obtained from the resins of the plant, mixed with some carrier oil (coconut, hemp seed, pumpkin, olive oil). How to make CBD oil is fairly easy to answer, and it’s very convenient to use.

Is CBD oil good for arthritis? Considering the long CBD oil benefits list (an excellent aid when it comes to treating acne, injuries (even surgical ones), cancer, opioid addiction, nausea, diabetes, vomiting, loss of appetite, and lots of other conditions), we can say the answer is positive and hardly surprising.

How CBD for Arthritis Can Help

What interests us the most regarding arthritis are CBD’s:

  • Pain-relieving properties
  • Anti-inflammatory properties
  • Anxiety reducing
  • Insomnia benefits.

Basically, what is known as “CBD oil for arthritis” should help with all of these. Pain caused by arthritis usually comes from bones that are grinding against one another because the connecting tissue between them is missing, thus leading to inflammation of the rubbing parts. The liquid lubricating the joint may also be missing in the case of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), when the body stops producing it.

As it is an autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis can damage eyes, lungs, and heart — all of them may be in need of something the body has stopped delivering. Medical marijuana for rheumatoid arthritis is quite a hot topic as the disease can be very severe.

Obviously, pain and inflammation are very much intertwined. Pain accompanies inflammation sooner or later. In addition, anxiety and insomnia are common enough among people suffering from arthritis, too.

Here are some examples of how CBD oil reaped success in dealing with these arthritis symptoms.

CBD Oil for Arthritis Pain

While pain meds are infamous for their side effects, research on arthritis treatment with CBD oil for pain showed the research subjects (in this case, rats) exhibited favorable behavior after they were given CBD. No side effects were present, and they seemed to be free of pain at least.

CBD topical was used for the treatment. This kind of treatment also seemed best compared to CBD pills, for instance, because it enables greater bioavailability.

Not only does CBD oil for arthritis pain prevent pain from occurring, but it does so through blocking the nerve damage. In Canadian research of OA (osteoarthritis), the joint neuropathic pain was successfully dealt with. CBD was applied topically.

CBD oil inhibits neuropathic pain as well. It is believed that CBD affects the sore spot and the central nervous system at the same time, interfering with its pain signals.

CBD Oil for Inflammation

A study from 2011 clearly proved how some atypical cannabinoid receptors can be of help in treating inflammatory pain.  The results could inspire further research on topical CBD oil for arthritis. Essentially, Cannabidiol reacts with our endocannabinoid system and inspires it to be more active.

European Journal of Pain confirmed in a study that applying CBD to the skin lowers inflammation and pain caused by arthritis.

The exact relation of the endocannabinoid system and arthritis is yet to be established, though. If we knew more about it, it would be easier to explain how exactly CBD oil for rheumatoid arthritis works and perhaps inspire the production of CBD meds specifically for this disease.

Either way, what is important for all patients who are prescribed medical marijuana is that they are more interested in results than the exact details of what it does.

CBD Oil for Anxiety 

Imagine if you had to deal with frequent pain. Or that your movements are so slow and difficult that you need some kind of a walking aid. Everybody around you does things with ease, while you need concentration and effort. This is why some people turn to cannabis for arthritis and anxiety.

CBD oil could be an even better choice than cannabis oil or smoking cannabis, for instance, as THC can potentially increase anxiety levels. CBD does so through its effect on the endocannabinoid system. Moreover, it has beneficial effects on hippocampal neurogenesis, whose impact is smaller in people suffering from anxiety and depression.

Nevertheless, too much CBD, and you may end up with worsened anxiety symptoms, so be careful about CBD dosage.

CBD Oil for Insomnia

Cannabis for rheumatoid arthritis is in high demand. Falling asleep with chronic pain can be extremely challenging as the pain can last for hours, interfering with one’s sleep. Our body needs sleep to help its recovery process every single day, making it even more important if one’s joints and body are deteriorating due to arthritis.

CBD’s calming effect helps to drift off. CBD edibles are especially recommendable for the purpose.

How to Use CBD Oil for Arthritis

We’ve explained the reasons why it’s a great idea to introduce CBD oil to your treatment. Now, let’s see what it means in practice.

You will often hear that arthritis is usually treated with some form of CBD lotion or a patch. The advantage of this approach is increased bioavailability. Namely, CBD does not go through the digestive system as it does via pills, vape sprays, edibles, etc. The expected time to kick in is about 10 minutes.

Best CBD oil for arthritis may come in the form of CBD gummies for pain or other edibles, which is a way to ease insomnia and chronic pain during sleep. How long does it take for CBD oil to work in this case? The cannabinoid is released slowly, but its effects may last for hours.

Vaporizers will give you an instant dose of CBD. Dropping oil under your tongue (sublingual application) allows a few minutes before CBD enters your bloodstream.

So which type of CBD oil for arthritis should be your pick? The tricky part is that it varies from person to person. It depends on what medications you are using (if any), whether you have the early stage of arthritis so you don’t have any insomnia issues, and many other individual factors.

The bottom line is that you will have to find out on your own. With the doctor’s blessing, of course.

What CBD Oil Dosage for Arthritis Is the Best?

You’ve heard it before, and here it is again. Start with a low dose (5 to 10 mg), and increase gradually. Pay close attention to your reaction. It will probably take a few weeks before you can determine how well (or badly) you react to it.

According to Dr.Damas, 20 to 35 mg per day is the most common dose for feeling pain relief.

CBD Oil Side Effects

Hardly anything in this world comes with no side effects, let alone cannabis for arthritis as a medical treatment. These are the most common side effects of CBD oil:

  • Changes in appetite (an increase or decrease)
  • Fatigue
  • Diarrhea
  • Changes in weight.

The list is more extensive, though CBD is generally regarded as safe. For example, pure CBD oil under the name of Epidiolex is approved to be given to children over two years old.

Still, what you should find worrisome is the possibility of interaction with other medications. CBD oil and methotrexate do interact. If you are fighting rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile idiopathic arthritis, or psoriatic arthritis, methotrexate is probably a part of your treatment. It’s highly recommended for treating pain and slowing down the deterioration of the body.

Therefore, always consult your physician before you decide to include CBD into your medical routine.

Potential Issues

As usual, here’s a word or two on CBD oil content, CBD oil legal status, and FDA approval.

  • CBD oil for arthritis is not FDA-approved

Though Sativex was said to be helpful in treating arthritis pain, conclusive evidence is yet to be seen. So far, no CBD oil has been defined by the FDA as designed for arthritis.

  • CBD oil quality can vary

Always read the label carefully. Despite the saturation of the market with CBD products, not all of them can vouch for the content.

  • CBD vs THC

While CBD is not psychoactive, THC certainly has that feature. CBD oil can be full spectrum or pure oil. The first one has a certain CBD-THC ratio. Marijuana for arthritis pain may not be your thing if marijuana oil makes you uncomfortable.

  •  Legal status

Though hemp has been proclaimed legal on the federal level, every state has specific rules and regulations when it comes to medical cannabis. Perhaps your state is still weighing in and hasn’t included arthritis on its list for CBD medicines.

There are definitely plenty of things to bear on your mind. However, are they worth it? Yes, without a doubt.

What About My Pet?

CBD oil for dogs with arthritis is a huge hit. There has been quite a number of cases of pet owners stating CBD oil has done wonders for their pet. The market is certainly overflowing with pet products promising to help the doggo in need.

At the moment, research about CBD oil for pets is even more scarce than it is for humans. The future looks pretty bright, though.

Conclusion

If you have the disease, can CBD oil for arthritis help you? The research is limited but offers high hopes. All things considered, this option is definitely worth looking into. Perhaps science does not know yet how to explain all the processes which take place in our body due to CBD, but it’s definitely worth a shot.

In any case, CBD has the ability to help with at least four arthritis symptoms. Whether some CBD oil or marijuana cream for arthritis can help to reverse the damaging process remains to be investigated.

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