Many men and women utilize CBD oil to alleviate chronic pain, particularly from joint diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. CBD may reduce joint swelling and slow disease worsening. Keep reading to learn if it works and if you should take it.
The Science Behind Utilizing CBD Oil for Arthritis
The only FDA-approved usage of CBD oil is really for reducing epileptic seizures. But a lot of people choose CBD oil for other investigational, non-proven utilizes.
The key medical use of CBD oil is, so, not to improve epilepsy however to alleviate chronic pain. One of the various painful conditions people use CBD oil for inflammatory joint disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis rank first. In a poll of 1500 medical CBD users, almost half reported suffering from arthritis.
Similarly, a lot of people smoke medical cannabis to relieve arthritic pain. In two polls on 5k men and women, 20 percent did so for this objective. They often reported good outcomes, but most of them used cannabis forms with higher THC compared to CBD degrees, for example, indica strains.
This leaves us with the question: Why does CBD alone alleviate arthritic pain or is THC that the key cannabis-derived compound responsible for the benefits? Unfortunately, the question remains unresolved since no clinical trials have tested CBD in people with arthritis and the only studies completed so far have been done in animals.
How Does It Work?
Arthritis Types
The term’arthritis’ carries a set of joint diseases with inflammation, pain, and cartilage injury. It can be brought about by recurrent mechanical damage (e.g., osteoarthritis), autoimmunity (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), or from other diseases (e.g., psoriatic arthritis).
Even though there’s absolutely no cure for arthritis, therapies can relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and slow down the development of the illness. Let us take a peek at how CBD can help.
Activating the Endocannabinoid System
The endocannabinoid system is made up of 2 receptors: CB1 and CB2. The cannabinoids naturally generated in the body — such as anandamide and 2-AG — bind to and activate them. Though CBD blocks CB receptors, it raises anandamide by preventing its breakdown.
Two studies in humans and dogs found that creatures with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis had higher levels of CB receptors and many cannabinoids from the joints. This also suggests that the body activates the endocannabinoid system to fight arthritis. In line with this, raising cannabinoids might be a fantastic therapeutic strategy.
Indeed, two synthetic CB2 activators reduced joint inflammation and damage in mice with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Alternatively, a blocker of this enzyme that breaks down anandamide (FAAH) reduced pain in rats and guinea hens with osteoarthritis. Anandamide appears to function by triggering CB1 since blocking this receptor prevented the pain-relieving effect.
CBD oil may relieve joint inflammation in arthritis by increasing the action and levels of natural cannabinoids such as anandamide.
Blocking Pain Pathways
CBD triggers a receptor involved in inflammatory pain (TRPV1). Although this receptor induces pain in the joints of rats with osteoarthritis, its stimulation by CBD or the chili pepper chemical capsaicin reduces pain perception.
CBD additionally binds to another receptor with a similar function in inflammatory illness (TRPA1). Activating this receptor (as well as TRPV1 and CB2) by a synthetic cannabinoid decreased inflammation in joint cells taken from people with arthritis.
Another target of CBD, GPR55, has been mainly investigated because of its role in gut inflammation. However, its activation by a synthetic CBD compound reduced pain in arthritic rats.
CBD oil can protect the joints by blocking inflammatory pain pathways.
Reducing Infection
CBD is a strong anti-inflammatory. It blocks the major inflammatory hub NF-kB, activates the anti-inflammatory PPAR-gamma, also prevents the elimination of this anti-inflammatory chemical adenosine.
In animals with arthritis, CBD reduced the creation of two pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha). In animals with other inflammatory conditions, it also decreased inflammatory messengers (IL-1beta, IL-6, NO, and prostaglandins) while increasing two anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10).
CBD oil may protect the joints by raising anti-inflammatory compounds and blocking major inflammatory pathways.
Suppressing the Autoimmune Response
Additionally, CBD prevents T cells from breaking up, migrating to inflammation sites, and generating pro-inflammatory cytokines. This is particularly relevant in autoimmune arthritis kinds such as rheumatoid arthritis or whenever the ailment results from autoimmune diseases like psoriasis, celiac disease, and lupus.
When Does It Work?
Evidence from Animal Studies
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative disease in which the repeated damage of the joints due to wear and tear, overload, or accidents leads to their breakdown and inflammation. Therapies for this illness normally concentrate on reducing inflammation and relieving pain.
In rats having this sort of arthritis, topical CBD reduced inflammation and slowed the progression of atherosclerosis in the early phases. In animals with advanced osteoarthritis, CBD injected in the inflammation site decreased sensitivity to pain and improved weight-bearing capacity.
In dogs, oral CBD relieved pain but had no effect on limb freedom and weight-bearing capability.
Although osteoarthritis is a chronic condition, these studies simply tested CBD for up to 19 days. Longer treatments may also be effective because CBD had continual effects in mice with other inflammatory conditions given this chemical for up to 8 weeks.
Regardless, it’s essential to note that these studies were performed only in creatures. There is no proof that CBD oil is going to have the very same effects in people with osteoarthritis.
Rheumatoid Arthritis & Autoimmunity
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the joints, causing inflammation and damage. In cases like this, obstructing the autoimmune response may yield better results.
In mice with this illness, injected and oral CBD relieved inflammation and slowed the joint damage development. CBD additionally prevents T cells along with joint cells (synoviocytes) from reproducing and releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma).
Similarly, a topical CBD gel decreased joint swelling, swelling, and also the amounts of inflammatory markers (such as TNF-alpha) from the nerves of rats with rheumatoid arthritis.
Additionally, synthetic CBD-like compounds reduced inflammation, pain perception, and joint damage in rats and mice with this kind of arthritis.
Again, these preliminary results cannot be considered any evidence that CBD oil enriches rheumatoid arthritis.
Animal studies suggest CBD oil relieves symptoms and prevents the worsening of both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis.
Clinical Trials
No human studies tested CBD for gout yet. A trial examining CBD — both independently and followed by an add-on of THC — in people with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis is underway.
By comparison, a mouth spray providing the exact same quantity of CBD and THC (nabiximols) reduced pain and morning stiffness while enhancing sleep caliber in a small trial on 58 individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.
Extracts with similar amounts of CBD and THC reduce joint stiffness and stiffness in people with arthritis. Clinical studies on CBD oil are still lacking.
Alternatively, CBD prevented skin tissues from over-dividing — as they do in case of psoriasis — along with a gel with CBD however no THC improved psoriasis in a little trial on 5 individuals. This suggests that topical CBD oil might help prevent psoriasis by worsening and developing to gout.
Taken together, the evidence to support the benefits of CBD in people with arthritis is very restricted for psoriatic arthritis and non-existent for rheumatoid arthritis. Further clinical trials like the continuing one should shed some light on the possible usage of CBD oil for gout.
Caveats
The only accessible clinical trial utilized a mouth spray with comparable levels of CBD and THC. Animal study with CBD shows promising results for relieving and slowing the development of rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis, but clinical trials have yet to determine if it’s helpful in humans.
CBD Oil Dosage for Arthritis
Dosage
Since CBD isn’t accepted for any arthritis kinds, there’s no official dose. The fact that CBD alone hasn’t been examined in clinical trials means that there isn’t any proven dose either. We can simply estimate the best one according to the guidelines from producers and organic health blogs.
They generally suggest starting with a low dose (5-10 mg, 2x/day) and slowly increasing it until you achieve the desired effects. According to them, most people experience relief with 20 mg 2x/day but some with much more severe pain may want to increase the dose to 80-100 mg. If CBD alone doesn’t work, you may choose to try products with some THC for extra pain relief.
Another possibility is to estimate the dose based on information from animal studies. In animals with rheumatoid arthritis, researchers used oral doses of 10-50 mg/kg and topical dosages of 20-240 mg/kg. For osteoarthritis, they reduced the dose to 0.5-2 mg/kg for topical, oral, and injected preparations.
In any case, do not forget that the right dose will also depend on your weight, pain intensity, and tolerance to CBD. Consult your very best starting dose with your doctor and never take CBD oil instead of the proven therapies for arthritis that he or she recommends or prescribes.
How to Use
You may select your preferred form of CBD oil-based on the kind and distribution of your own pain.
Topical forms could possibly be a good solution for arthritis as it’s possible to use them into a targeted place. They may be beneficial for localized joint pain and inflammation.
Cosmetic kinds distribute CBD throughout the entire body. Capsules, edibles, and teas discharge CBD more gradually and their effects last longer — maybe a better alternative if you are constantly in pain. Vapes, mouth sprays, and oil tinctures offer a faster, more temporary relief; they may be preferable for sudden, intense pain.
Significantly, loading a vaporizer may be troublesome for those who have arthritis since they may have diminished hand dexterity. For those who have acute, episodic pain but there’s no one around to help you load it, then go for additional fast-acting forms such as tinctures and sprays.
Creams, dyes, and other topical kinds may be a fantastic selection for localized joint inflammation and pain. You are able to combine them together with capsules to get a stronger, sustained impact.
Best CBD Oil for Arthritis
Product Quality
Along with deciding on a CBD oil adjusted to your budget (you may want to calculate the price per mL or mg to compare unique brands), you also need to assess the item quality. Read about how to choose the best CBD oil here.
Reviews
The opinions expressed in this section are only those of CBD oil consumers that may or may not have scientific or medical training. Their reviews don’t reflect the opinions of SelfHacked. SelfHacked doesn’t endorse any specific product, service, or therapy.
Do not consider user adventures as medical information. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your health care provider or another qualified healthcare provider because of something you’ve read on SelfHacked. We know that studying individual, real-life encounters can be a very helpful resource, but it’s not a replacement for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or therapy from a qualified healthcare provider.
People using CBD oil for joint pain most often had atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, or psoriatic arthritis. Users were generally pleased and reported that CBD reduced their pain and improved their quality of life. However, some disgruntled customers did not notice any effects.
Takeaway
CBD oil is secure anti-inflammatory many individuals with arthritis turn to. Clinical trials are currently underway to check its effectiveness for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
According to data from animal studies, CBD oil can alleviate the symptoms of arthritis by increasing natural cannabinoids such as anandamide, blocking pain pathways, suppressing autoimmunity, and reducing inflammation. For this reason, it might also help people with arthritis from other autoimmune diseases like psoriasis or Lupus.
Topical forms — creams, gels, and creams — might be a fantastic option for localized joint inflammation and pain. If your pain and inflammation are intense, you may combine topicals using CBD oil capsules or tinctures to achieve a more powerful and longer-lasting effect.