Cannabidiol oil (CBD) also known as hemp oil, contains CBD extracted from the cannabis plant. CBD oil is used by many people to relieve pain that they have due to chronic conditions for example arthritis.
What is CBD Oil?
CBD comes from the family of cannabinoids, a chemical that is derived from the organic cannabis plant. The thing to be noted is that CBD is not a psychoactive chemical.
Among the several different chemicals contained in the cannabis plant, THC has psychoactive properties. This means that unlike CBD, THC can get a person high. There are multiple CBD based products with varying amounts of CBD in them.
Since the drug was first introduced due to its recreational purposes, people dispute its medicinal use since it is extracted from the same cannabis plant.
CBD products can be used to reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
CBD Based Products and Pain Relief in Arthritis
Being the leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting over millions of people worldwide. The two most common types of arthritis are:
Osteoarthritis
It refers to degenerative arthritis affecting the joints and cartilages resulting in pain and stiffness. The most commonly affected joint is a knee, hip and thumb joints.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
This refers to an autoimmune kind of arthritis where the body’s own immune system mounts an attack on the cartilages of the joints resulting in inflammatory damage. The most commonly affected joints here are smaller ones such as those in hands and feet.
Studies performed on the animal models advocate CBD can be beneficial in the treatment of arthritis by combatting the inflammatory component. The analgesic properties of CBD will help in the pain relief.
- The finding from a study performed on rats in 2011 suggested that CBD can help reduce inflammatory pain in rats by modulating the response of these receptors towards the painful stimuli.
- Another study carried out in 2014 on animal models suggested that CBD might have a role in osteoarthritis as well.
- A 2016 study while investigating the topical route of administration of CBD revealed its potential to relieve pain and inflammation associated with arthritis.
However, there is still a lack of scientific evidence in the field that could conclude the role of CBD for pain relief in arthritis, especially in animal models.
CBD and Chronic Pain Relief
CBD exerts its effects on the human body attaching itself to the specialized receptors in the human brain as well in the immune system.
One of the receptors known as CB2 has a role in modulating the immune system when a CBD molecule attaches to it. In addition to attaching itself to these receptors, CBD compounds also enhance the body’s own ability to produce the endocannabinoid.
Author Bio
Emily Jones is a therapist who works with different patients to naturally treat their conditions and provide CBD cream for arthritis pain relief. She also maintains a blog where she speaks about the use of natural products in combination with therapy. To know about her more just follow her on social media.
