Joint Pain and CBD?
Approximately 54 million adults and 300,000 children in the U.S.
have been diagnosed with arthritis or some other type of rheumatic disease
causing joint pain according to the Arthritis
Foundation (AF).
If you consider all of the individuals who have arthritis but have
not yet been diagnosed, the AF suggests that the true count is likely closer to
91.2 million in total. To make matters even worse, that number is expected to
grow by 49 percent by the year 2040.
The most precarious and debilitating symptoms suffered by
arthritis patients include pain, stiffness, and decreased movement within the
joints, all of which can be severe and worsen over time. In addition, there are
other symptoms that are just as troublesome, such as anxiety and depression.
Not only that, but it can become especially trying when you have to contend
with other medical problems that tend to coexist with arthritis, like heart disease,
diabetes, and obesity.
Some medications and treatment programs can potentially help ease these negative effects, but many people are searching for a more natural pain relief option. This is where CBD oil comes into play.
What is CBD Oil?
CBD is short for cannabidiol, which MedlinePlus explains
is one of more than 80 chemical cannabinoids found in the marijuana plant Cannabis
sativa. Thus, cannabis oil or CBD oil as it is more commonly known, is an oil that is developed using this
particular compound.
Although CBD oil is just now becoming fairly mainstream, largely
because of the debates surrounding medical marijuana, cannabis actually has a
long history of providing relief in many different countries around the world.
CBD’s
Long History
In June 2015, National Geographic ran a story
about how Siberian burial mounds as far back as 3000 B.C. were found to contain
charred cannabis seeds. Cannabis has also been used in Chinese medicine for
thousands and thousands of years.
The article went on to explain how American use of cannabis goes
back to our country’s founding fathers as well. In fact, George Washington
himself grew hemp at his plantation estate and the location of his burial,
Mount Vernon.
Because of its somewhat tumultuous historymarijuana has had with
the law (regarding whether it is illegal or not), research on the positive
properties of hemp plants’ derivatives such as cannabidiol oil has been
extremely limited.
This has caused many people to question its use for modern day
ailments, primarily because they don’t know a lot about how it works.
How
Cannabis Oil Works
According to Medical News
Today, the body’s endocannabinoid system has two cannabinoid
receptors: CB1 and CB2.
A majority of CB1 receptors are located in the brain and are
associated with cognitive actions related to coordination, mood, thinking,
memory, and appetite. The CB2 receptors, on the other hand, can be found
in the immune system. This makes them more responsible for the body’s response
to pain and inflammation.
Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, attaches to the CB1 receptors, which
explains why smoking or otherwise ingesting marijuana affects users on a
cognitive level.
However, CBD impacts the CB2 receptors. And it does so indirectly,
not by attaching to the CB2 receptor, but by enticing the body to make more of
its own cannabinoids. This creates a positive effect on the body’s pain and
inflammation responses.
Benefits
of CBD Oil
Many studies have been conducted on CBD and found that this
compound offers individuals diagnosed with arthritis several potential
benefits.
CBD Oil
Eases Arthritis Pain
One of the primary CBD oil benefits for arthritis sufferers is its
positive effect on pain, and research confirms it.
A study published
in the journal Pain in December 2017 analyzed whether CBD
could prevent osteoarthritis pain and joint neuropathy. Based on their
findings, researchers affirmed that it did both because it decreased joint
inflammation and served as a protectant to the nerves.
CBD Oil
Relieves Other Chronic Pain Conditions
CBD oil has been found to relieve other chronic pains as
well. For instance, research published
in Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management indicates that
cannabinoids have been helpful with easing pain for individuals diagnosed with
conditions such as multiple sclerosis and cancer.
Other studies have
reported positive effects for individuals taking CBD to ease their fibromyalgia
pain, many of whom only experienced mild side effects from this chemical
compound, such as dry mouth, drowsiness, and dizziness.
CBD Oil
and Anxiety
CBD oil has also been linked to a variety of mental health
benefits, such as a reduction in anxiety. Research suggests
that it is so effective in this regard that it has “considerable potential as a
treatment for multiple anxiety disorders.” One study published
in The Permanente Journal even found that CBD oil can help
reduce anxiety in young children.
CBD Oil
for Depression
Several studies have
also linked CBD to a reduction of symptoms associated with depression. This is
extremely important because as the Arthritis
Foundation says that the depression rates of those diagnosed
with certain types of arthritis “can be between two- and ten-times greater than
the rates of the general population.”
Is CBD
Oil Safe?
The second most common question people have when it comes to CBD
oil for pain management or its anti-inflammatory properties is whether or not
it is safe to use for arthritis symptoms.
Patients are always concerned with additional potential and side
effects (as they should be). According to some top health experts and agencies,
the answer is yes. It is safe to use.
For instance, Medscape shares
that while cannabinoid medicine is still in its early stages, “unlike marijuana
and THC, the risks associated with CBD are extremely low, with not a single
case report of CBD overdose in the literature. The National
Institute on Drug Abuse agrees and states that “CBD appears to
be a safe drug with no addictive effects.”
In the future, it is likely that the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) will also begin to regulate CBD products,
providing an additional safety net, as this agency indicates that “increasing
public interest” in this substance increases the importance of establishing
regulatory procedures.
Potential
Risks of CBD Oil
Many health experts have deemed CBD safe to use, but like with any
substance, there does appear to be a few potential risks when it comes to using
this extract.
Medication/Drug
Interactions
MedlinePlus indicates
that CBD can sometimes interact with certain prescription medications,
primarily those that are “changed and broken down by the liver.”
These include, but are not limited to common medications such as:
·
ondansetron (Zofran)
·
clozapine (Clozaril, FazaClo)
·
progesterone (Endometrin, Prometrium)
·
testosterone
·
disulfiram (Antabuse)
·
ketamine (Ketalar)
·
phenobarbital (Luminal)
·
omeprazole (Prilosec)
·
lansoprazole (Prevacid)
·
diazepam (Valium)
·
carisoprodol (Soma)
·
ibuprofen (Motrin)
·
celecoxib (Celebrex)
·
amitriptyline (Elavil)
·
warfarin (Coumadin)
·
codeine
·
paroxetine (Paxil)
·
tramadol (Ultram)
·
venlafaxine (Effexor)
·
alprazolam (Xanax)
·
fexofenadine (Allegra)
·
benzodiazepines
·
morphine
Another piece of research, this one
published in the Addictive Behaviors journal, found that CBD
“significantly reduced” (as much as 40 percent) the number of cigarettes smoked
by individuals who wanted to quit.
CBD
Dosing Considerations
If you’d like to use CBD oil to help ease your arthritis pain, you
may be wondering how much to administer or apply.
Proper
CBD Dosing
Because CBD is so new, Medscape recommends
that users “start low, go slow.” This enables you to see how well your body
responds without giving it more than the necessary amount.
Plus, there are no government regulations regarding the
manufacture and sale of CBD, so you never know if you’re getting the amount
actually listed on the label. This makes erring on the side of caution even
more important.
CBD Oil
Options
Consumer Health Digest (CHD) researched products on the web and, according
to this guide, the three most important terms to know before purchasing your
CBD oil are CBD volume, hemp oil volume, and CBD
concentration. The second and third are the most critical, according to CHD,
because they indicate the oil’s potency.
It’s also important to realize that there are different product
options with regard to CBD oils. They are:
·
CBD oil, which
is the “more potent version and delivery system of CBD”
·
CBD oil topical solutions,
enabling the user to use it on a more targeted area
·
CBD oil tinctures, which
are alcohol-based cannabis extracts that can be ingested orally, and the most
popular CBD oil choice
·
CBD dietary supplements, or
capsules containing CBD oil in in a powdered form
The one you choose will depend largely on the location and
severity of your pain. If you want to target a specific area, an oil or oil
topical may be the best. However, if the pain is all over, then a tincture or
dietary supplement may provide the most relief.
Also, if you’re new to using CBD oil, we recommend you start with
10 milligrams per day to establish a safe, effective amount for you. Most of
our RA colleagues end up getting relief when they take 20mg of full spectrum
lab grade CBD tincture under the tongue twice per day. It’s important to hold
it there for at least 60 seconds. Others with more severe pain go as high as
80mg twice or more per day to get full relief.
Where to Buy Lab Grade CBD Oil and Topical CBD Cream?
There has been an explosion of new CBD products hitting the market
in the past year. We’re seeing reports of many of them having far less CBD than
they report or even including no CBD at all. Worse some have even failed
testing for pesticides and dangerous bacteria. The FDA seems to be ramping up
enforcement to tackle this problem. American Pure Solutions has all of their
products third party tested and we post the testing results on our
website. You will always know what you
are getting with American Pure Solutions.
We only accept Premium Grade products to pass along to our
customers. Check out our products at www.americanpuresolutions.com