Got Arthritis? CBD Might Help!

Anyone suffering from arthritis knows that the condition can make even simple daily tasks very difficult, and in some cases, unbearable. Opening a jar, picking up an object off of the ground, walking upstairs, holding a pen… Simple things that you need to do throughout the day can cause a lot of pain.  Unfortunately, arthritis affects many people.

Although there are plenty of medications prescribed to deal with the pain from arthritis, some people are interested in trying out more natural options. One potential option to minimize the pain of arthritis is cannabidiol (CBD).

An Overview of CBD

Cannabidiol, (usually just called CBD) is one of the many compounds that are found in cannabis plants. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD doesn’t cause you to experience a head ‘high’ and it is often used as a pain reliever. It has the potential to reduce pain caused by a lot of chronic illnesses including arthritis.

What is Arthritis?

A lot of people think of arthritis as one disease when it is a collective name for over a hundred different diseases.

It is the inflammation of the joints, and contrary to common belief it doesn’t just affect the elderly. It can also affect children and adults of all ages. It causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints.

A joint refers to the point at which two bones meet. The function of the joint in the body is to facilitate movement. The joint is surrounded by a liquid-filled capsule whose purpose is to lubricate the joint and ease movement.

Arthritis is a painful condition for the sufferer and unfortunately, there’s no cure for it. It severely affects a person’s quality of life and can lead to other mental illnesses like depression if it’s not managed properly.

Treatment

Treatments have improved and most people are able to manage their pain with opioids. Recently, however, the dangers of opioids (including addiction and fatalities from overdosing) have come to light.

Some people have turned to naturally occurring pain relievers like CBD to help them manage their arthritis pain without worrying about frightening side effects.

Causes of Arthritis

The end of every bone is covered by cartilage, which is a firm, slippery connective tissue whose function is to protect the joint.

It does this by absorbing the shock of movement when you walk and allowing the bones to glide over each other. Reduction in this cartilage is thought to cause inflammation of the joints.

To this day, the exact causes of certain types of arthritis are still not known.

Types of Arthritis

Did you know that there are many different types of arthritis? A few of the most common types include:

• Osteoarthritis

This is one of the most common types of arthritis and it occurs when the cartilage wears off and bones grind against each other. You can imagine the amount of pain this causes when you move the affected joints. Walking, writing, and other simple day-to-day tasks suddenly become immensely painful.

The wearing off of the cartilage can happen over many years or it can happen very fast due to an injury.

Osteoarthritis is more common in women than men and mostly affects people aged forty-five and above.

The joints that are mostly affected are those that carry weight, such as the hips, knees, hands, and back.

A major risk factor for osteoarthritis is being overweight. The extra weight makes the bones squeeze against each other, causing the cartilage to gradually wear off until there’s nothing left.

• Rheumatoid arthritis

This type of arthritis occurs when the body’s immune system attacks a part of the body, in this case, the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is therefore classified under Autoimmune diseases.

Doctors still don’t entirely know what causes RA and the symptoms can come on gradually or suddenly.

RA symptoms are severe and affect more than one joint. RA often affects people between the ages of forty and sixty.

• Gout

Also referred to as calcium crystal disease, it is the build-up of uric acid caused when the body produces too much uric acid or it does not excrete enough. The uric acid crystallizes and gathers in the joints causing inflammation. It can affect any joint but the big toe joint is one of the most common.

Triggers include alcohol, drugs, stress, too many foods that raise the uric levels, or an illness.

When symptoms come on fast, it is known as a flare-up. It is very painful and can last between three to ten days.

• Psoriatic Arthritis

This type of arthritis affects people with psoriasis, a skin condition in which the skin erupts in red, scaly patches.

The joints become swollen, painful, and stiff. This type of arthritis mostly affects the fingers making them appear inflamed and sausage-like.

It can also evolve and move to the spine, so managing it early is crucial.

• Lupus Erythematosus

This is another illness classified under arthritis because it affects your joints. It also affects other organs in your body. It is an autoimmune disease that affects mostly women, especially of African and Asian ancestry.

Researchers and doctors don’t know what causes the body’s immune system to start attacking itself.

In addition to painful joints, there’s swelling around the joints and eyes as well as a myriad of other symptoms. These symptoms may include fatigue, rashes across the cheeks, mouth sores, hair loss, and anemia.

CBD for Arthritis

The Arthritis Foundation conducted a poll among its members and 29% of them used CBD in one form or another to manage their pain.

The ones who didn’t were interested to find out about it. Most people who suffer from arthritic pain are eager to move away from opioids because of their potential to be addictive.

This recent study was done to find out if CBD helped to prevent osteoarthritis pain and nerve damage in rats. The results found that CBD was very effective. Researchers discovered that CBD not only provided pain relief but also protected from nerve damage as well.

More research must be done before we fully understand the effects of CBD and arthritis. Although the information we do have is very promising, more studies need to be done before anything can be stated conclusively.

Benefits of Using CBD for Arthritis

If you’re interested in trying out an all-natural pain-relieving method for your arthritis pain, you may want to give CBD a shot. However, you should keep in mind that it’s best to speak with your healthcare provider before changing up your pain management routine. Using CBD for arthritis has lots of benefits, a few of them include:

• Fast Pain Relief

CBD can give you relief from pain very quickly after you consume it, depending on the method of consumption.

One of the fastest and most popular methods for taking CBD is called the sublingual method. Taking CBD sublingually simply means placing a few drops of CBD oil under the tongue. It is absorbed by the mucus membrane and goes straight to the bloodstream.

If you wish to have targeted pain relief, using a topical CBD cream or salve can be a great option as well. Simply apply the cream to the affected area.

Note: If you suffer from arthritis or joint pain, you should give this Muscle and Joint Relief Salve a try!

• Improved Quality of Sleep

Many people who suffer from chronic arthritis pain carry the added burden of insomnia. This is because pain and lack of sleep go hand in hand.

A study published in 2019 found out of the sample of people who reported suffering from anxiety and poor sleep, 79% of them reported improved sleeping scores within a month of taking CBD.

• CBD is Non-Addictive

Everyone who suffers from chronic pain knows that addiction to pain-killers is a potential concern.

In addition to suffering from pain, a sufferer of chronic pain has to deal with knowing that some of the drugs they’re taking to curb the pain can be addictive.

In America alone, there are more than 300,000 opioid deaths, and these increase every year.

CBD may be a good alternative to opioids since it is all-natural and non-addictive. However, it’s always crucial to speak to your health care provider before you change up your medications. Talk to them about your interest in taking CBD to make sure that it’s a good option for you.

• Anti-Inflammatory

Some forms of Arthritis like Rheumatoid arthritis are inflammatory and over time, the joints wear off permanently.

People who suffer from RA usually take prescription drugs for the inflammation but these often have side effects. CBD may potentially protect against inflammation while also posing minimal potential side effects.

As if suffering from RA is not enough, people with this condition are also at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties, CBD may also reduce the risk factors associated with heart disease like high blood pressure.

• Slows Down the Progression of the Arthritis

The anti-inflammatory properties of CBD may help to slow down the progression of some forms of arthritis.

Most arthritis starts with mild symptoms that slowly worsen with time. In addition to all the other benefits of CBD, reducing disease progression can be very beneficial for people who suffer from arthritis.

Using CBD Safely

As with taking any new medication, consult your doctor and let them know that you want to take CBD for pain relief. This will mitigate any issues of CBD reacting with any other medication that you’re taking.

Start with a low dose of CBD and increase it slowly until you get to the recommended dosage.

Also, ensure you research and buy your CBD products from reputable manufacturers. Pay special attention to the quantity of CBD in the product.

You can always browse our products here at Wellness Garden Medicinals. They’re made with the highest quality ingredients, premium-grade CBD, and they contain zero percent THC.