Arthritis is a common health issue affecting individuals across different age groups and leading to joint pain and inflammation. The symptoms experienced by arthritis patients will vary from one person to the other. However, the general symptoms include high inflammation, joint pain, stiffness, and tenderness. In the worst-case scenario, arthritis is known to cause restricted movement around affected joints. The common types of arthritis include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. As it stands, arthritis has no cure. Even though treatments like surgery, medications, and physiotherapy have successfully reduced arthritis among patients, CBD chips in as a better alternative; before looking at why CBD oil is becoming so popular for joint pain, let’s get into the details of what CBD oil is.
What is CBD Oil?
CBD blueberry yum yum, short for cannabidiol, is a chemical compound (cannabinoid) that is naturally occurring in cannabis plants (hemp and marijuana). One good thing about CBD is that it never causes a high, which is often associated with cannabis. The feeling is brought about by another cannabinoid called THC. CBD oil can reduce pain, inflammation, and general discomfort, which is common in different health conditions. The research on various CBD products for pain management has been promising. CBD oil for inflammatory pain has been an alternative for chronic pain patients who rely heavily on medications like opioids. The reason why people are leaning toward the CBD oil side is the fact that typical medications are habit-forming and could lead to serious side effects.
However, more research is required to ascertain that CBD oil really has pain-relieving benefits. The only CBD product available in the market with FDA approval is Epidiolex. This is a drug prescription for epilepsy. You will not come across any non-prescription CBD products with FDA approval in the market yet. This tells you that CBD products are yet to be regulated for dosage and purity like your common medications. Continue reading to understand more about the likely benefits that CBD oil has in pain management.
Why & How It Became so Popular for Joint Pain?
CBD has already been used to ease and help with different health conditions like anxiety, insomnia, depression, and chronic pain. Arthritis falls under chronic pain, which CBD is believed to treat. Despite the studies being at the infancy stage, the results are promising. The reason why CBD has become popular for joint pain is the fact that conventional medications are not safe for long-term use. Using conventional medications repeatedly has often been associated with liver, kidney, and stomach damage. More patients have become aware of alternative treatment methods, including lifestyle changes. Additionally, natural medication options such as CBD have been popular, given the few side effects experienced.
CBD lowers pain and inflammation by interacting with the endocannabinoid system. This cell-signaling system regulates body processes like mood, pain output, energy levels, and metabolism. The system comprises cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids, and receptor proteins. CBD interacts with the receptors in the nervous system and the brain, which triggers the uptake of hormones and different compounds.
CBD could also impact the brain on how it perceives pain. Additionally, interacting with the serotonin receptors increases the serotonin levels in the body. This brings a relaxed mood in the body and the brain to reduce arthritis intensity. Better still, cannabinoids like CBD could also block certain receptors that influence the body’s inflammation and pain. That affects the manner in which receptors react to incoming signals, consequently reducing pain and inflammation.
Does It Really Work for Joint Pain?
The link between CBD and different health conditions, such as chronic pain, has been debated for a long time. Researchers have decided to branch out to specific conditions like arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis to be specific. It is an inflammatory ailment that makes the immune system target healthy cells. Consequently, joints are attacked.
Different trials have been done to scrutinize the effectiveness of cannabis-based medications in managing rheumatoid arthritis. For five weeks, patients who used Sativex, a spray with cannabis extracts, realized that the drug ≥30% reduced pain and inflammation. The reported side effects were not severe and did not drastically affect patients’ quality of life.
While preliminary research has been promising, long-term studies are still needed to fully comprehend CBD’s role in joint pain.
How safe is it?
The long-term effects of CBD remain unknown. However, CBD oil has mild side effects like dry mouth, fatigue, diarrhea, and drowsiness. According to experts, you must be cautious when using CBD on top of blood thinners like Warfarin, as it heightens the effects of this medication. The FDA also discourages breastfeeding and pregnant mothers from using CBD products. CBD is likely to cause developmental issues in the fetus, which is also likely to get to breast milk.
People considering using CBD oil for joint pain must examine the quality of their CBD products. These products must not have more than 0.3% THC. Third-party lab results should also accompany them to ascertain their purity. Most importantly, you should consider consulting your doctor before using any CBD product.
Final Thought
CBD has shown promise in reducing common symptoms and side effects of arthritis. It does so by interacting with the endocannabinoid system, lowering inflammation while reducing the brain’s perception of pain. Due to this, most arthritis patients have begun using CBD and conventional medication. It is, however, important to note that current research is still in its early stages, even if there is light at the end of the tunnel. Therefore, more research and studies are necessary to establish global medical uses of CBD. It is also important to consult the doctor before using CBD since there are a few side effects to observe.