How Effective Is CBD For Relieving Arthritis Pain?
In the UK alone, tens of millions of people suffer from some form of arthritis or conditions that cause joint pain and inflammation. That means that millions of people across the UK are suffering day in and day out with joint pain and discomfort that affects their overall quality of life.
Many studies have been conducted that look into the impact that CBD can have on individuals suffering from Arthritis. Many of these studies have shown that there could be a potential link between CBD usage and arthritis side effect relief. While these studies are still in their infancy and we cannot say for definite that CBD can help treat Arthritis, the studies do look positive.
In this article, we will take a closer look a what exactly arthritis is and its common side effects. We will then look at what exactly CBD is and how it can potentially benefit individuals who suffer from arthritis.
What Is Arthritis?
Contrary to popular belief, arthritis is not one single condition but is actually a broad term for around 100 different conditions. Each of these conditions directly affects joints and can cause inflammation, pain, stiffness and swelling.
Age is not the only factor that contributes to the development of arthritis. In fact, you can develop arthritis at any age. Most cases of arthritis are caused by the wear and tear of the joint over time which causes the breakdown of cartilage. In addition to this, forms of arthritis can also be brought on by disease, infection, genetic defect, or even injury.
What Are The Different Types Of Arthritis?
As we have already touched on, there are over 100 different types of arthritis. This means that it is almost impossible to touch on every type. However, as you can imagine some are more common than others. These are the most common types of arthritis:
Rheumatoid Arthritis – This is a chronic inflammatory disease that attacks the cells that line the joints. This then makes joints swollen, stiff and painful. Over time this can result in significant damage to cartilage, joints and ultimately bones.
Ankylosing Spondylitis – Also known as axial spondyloarthritis, is an inflammatory disease that can cause significant damage over time to some of the vertebrae within the spine, causing them to fuse. This can result in the spine losing flexibility and a hunched posture.
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) – JIA is a form of arthritis found within children that causes joint inflammation and stiffness. This type of arthritis is most commonly found in children aged 16 or younger and can affect one or more joints for a period of at least 6 weeks.
Osteoarthritis – This is a degenerative form of joint disease which causes tissues within the joints to break down over time. This is undoubtedly the most common form of arthritis and is most commonly found in elder people and causes pain and stiffness after prolonged periods of rest or inactivity.
Psoriatic Arthritis – Psoriatic arthritis occurs when healthy cells and tissues within joints are attacked by the body’s immune systems. This causes inflammation within the joints and can be caused by both genetic and environmental factors.
Reactive Arthritis – This is a condition that can cause both redness and swelling within various joints in the body. This form of arthritis most commonly affects joints in the knees, feet, toes, hips and also ankles.
Septic Arthritis – Septic arthritis is an extremely painful infection within a joint that can often be caused by germs that have travelled through the bloodstream. It can also be caused by trauma due to a serious penetrating injury.
Thumb Arthritis – As the name suggests, this is arthritis of the thumb where it meets the wrist bone. As this joint becomes worn over time it can lead to a huge amount of pain within the thumb joint.
Common Side Effects Of Arthritis
Most forms of Arthritis can cause a significant amount of discomfort and inconvenience in the day-to-day lives of its sufferers. There are a huge amount of side effects that come with the diseases. The most common side effects of arthritis diseases are:
- Joint pain
- Stiffness \Swelling
- Reduced range of motion
- Fatigue
- Redness
- Muscle Weakness
What Is CBD?
Also known as cannabidiol, CBD is one of over 113 different cannabinoids found within the cannabis plant. Along with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD makes up for around 40% of the cannabinoid extracts that come from cannabis. It is an active ingredient within cannabis but does not have any mind-altering effects that are commonly associated with cannabinoids such as THC.
CBD works very effectively within the body by working with our endocannabinoid system (ECS) to interact with numerous receptors within our bodies to regulate their functions. This can help to reduce feelings of pain, inflammation, fatigue, anxiety, stress and much more.
How Can CBD Help People With Arthritis
While we cannot say that CBD has the ability to solve many side effects of arthritis, many studies do show that there are potential positives. This is because CBD has a huge amount of health benefits that can indirectly improve some of the common side effects that are seen in individuals with arthritis.
- CBD & Chronic Pain Reduction
Many in-depth studies that have been conducted over the years have shown that there could be a link between CBD usage and pain reduction. The reasoning for this is that when CBD interacts with the ECS it can reduce inflammation and change how the body reacts to pain. In addition to this, it can also have a direct impact on the activity of neurotransmitters and receptors that are involved in balancing pain signals. This impact can help to reduce the amount of pain receptors that are being produced and therefore reduce the amount of physical pain that an individual feels.
- CBD & Reduced Inflammation
There have also been many findings that suggest that CBD products can have a significant impact on reducing inflammation. This is particularly important for arthritis sufferers as inflammation is one of the main contributing factors to their conditions.
CBD has the ability to benefit inflammation as it can help to both regulate immune responses and maintain homeostasis through interacting with the endocannabinoid system. This is because CBD binds to CB2 receptors found within the immune system and thus helps to reduce the production of inflammatory molecules like cytokines.
Some animal studies suggest that CBD could help treat arthritis and relieve associated inflammatory pain. For example:
- A 2017 studyTrusted Source found that CBD might be a safe and useful treatment option for joint pain associated with osteoarthritis.
- A 2016 studyTrusted Source found that the topical application of CBD had the potential to relieve pain and inflammation associated with arthritis.
- A 2014 reviewTrusted Source looking into animal research concluded that CBD may be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis.
- A 2011 studyTrusted Source found that CBD helped reduce inflammatory pain in rats by affecting how pain receptors respond to stimuli.
What Are The Best Types Of CBD For Treating Arthritis
Here at Miracle Leaf, we stock a huge number of CBD supplements that could potentially help to lessen the side effects of arthritis conditions.
CBD Balms, Creams & Topicals – CBD oils are particularly beneficial for joint pain as they can be applied directly to the affected area. This allows you to get a much more targeted application onto the area that needs soothing than a CBD supplement that must be taken orally.
CBD Oils – Here at Miracle Leaf, we stock a huge number of premium quality CBD oils from the industry’s leading brands such as NuLeaf, FAB CBD and Foria Wellness. CBD oils are the most popular CBD products on the market and are recommended by millions worldwide.
CBD Edibles – Another extremely popular form of CBD product is CBD edibles. Edibles are a favourite amongst most as they are a very simple and tasty way of getting your daily intake of CBD. We have many different types of CBD Edibles in several different flavours.
CBD Capsules (CBD softgels) – CBD capsules are another very popular CBD supplement type. This is because they are an incredibly simple way of getting the CBD you need when you need it. We have a variety of different CBD capsules in stock for you to choose from.
