One of the worst experiences one can go through in life is the extreme pain and discomfort that arthritis causes. This is especially true when you consider the fact that the situation deteriorates with time. Over recent years, many unconventional remedies have emerged to offer some respite from the ordeal of joint pain and arthritis.
One of the most popular of these is CBD oil. CBD oil, which you can also call cannabidiol oil is a naturally-occurring remedy for several conditions. Due to the current popularity of CBD in the health and wellness market, investigations into its therapeutic benefit had to validate some of its uses.
Can CBD Oil Treat Arthritis?
CBD is believed to impact pain in two regions of the body. Firstly, the point of soreness such as your joints. The second part of the body that CBD reduces pain is the central nervous system. This is the system responsible for transmitting signals of pain to the brain.
Some studies performed on animal subjects indicated that CBD could relieve pain and reduce inflammation in animal tissues.
However, there is still the need for conclusive research in humans to establish this fact. This leaves only anecdotal reports from arthritis patients treating it with CBD oil. All of these suggest high quality CBD oil products you can buy online for arthritis and joint treatment and expect positive results.
The Research
In the United States alone, about 54.4 million people have Arthritis, which also happens to be the leading cause of physical disability. But arthritis exists in two common forms, namely osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
The latter is an autoimmune malfunction that causes patients’ immune system to attack their joints, resulting in inflammation. Body parts commonly affected by this condition include the feet and hands, which swell, stiffen, and become painful.
On the other hand, osteoarthritis causes degeneration in the joint cartilage of body parts like the knee, hip, and thumb joints. Anecdotal stats from the Arthritis Foundation indicate significant relief from the pain, sleeplessness, and anxiety caused by arthritis. Apart from this, other animal research also showed promising results for pain-relief and anti-inflammation. Some of these include:
- A study conducted in 2016 reported the potential benefits of topically applied CBD for inflammation and pain caused by arthritis.
- Reviewing performed in 2014 of existing research led researchers to believe that CBD may prove useful for dealing with osteoarthritis.
Ways to Use CBD Oil to Treat Arthritis & Joint Pain
CBD oil is primarily administered orally. You can either use it in sublingual drops or add it to drinks and food. The sublingual application of CBD oil helps its absorption from under the tongue. This helps preserve a significant amount of the oil’s CBD content instead of it going through the alimentary canal. The effects also kick-in faster when it’s ingested this way.
But that’s not the way to use CBD oil to treat arthritis. Some other methods of introducing CBD oil into the body for arthritis and joint pain include the following:
Vaping and Smoking
Using a cartridge containing CBD oil and a vaporizer, you can directly inhale CBD into your system. This method is also swift and you’ll notice instant effects. Aside from these methods, it’s also possible to inhale CBD concentrates in the form of sugar waxes using a regular vape pen with a chamber to accommodate CBD concentrates.
Using this method of ingestion enables the CBD in the oil to gain direct access to your bloodstream. Thus, inducing the necessary effects of pain-relief and inflammatory reduction relatively faster than the digestion process. To be specific, your body can absorb between 34 to 56 percent of the total CBD inhaled within 10 minutes.
It’s vital to note that avoiding CBD vape cartridges containing thinning agents such as propylene, fractionated coconut oil, or vegetable glycerin is best for your health. You have many different ways to take CBD oil for the treatment of arthritis and joint pain. Figuring out the most effective method can be tricky.
Ideally, you want to consult your doctor; this is particularly necessary if you’re on medications.
Effective Dosage
Though you won’t find any established clinical guidelines on the effective dosing of CBD oil for arthritis treatment, medical experts recommend these:
- Firstly, it’s necessary to understand that CBD oil consists of CBD extract and carrier oil. Hence, you’ll have to measure the liquid component and the amount of CBD each quantity contains.
- Start slow with small doses. Ideally, a few milligrams of CBD are ingested sublingually twice daily. Increase dose with the same amount after a week of no improvement in conditions.
Conclusion
Given the research and anecdotal evidence, it’s clear to see the potential CBD oil has to help treat arthritis and joint pain. Provided it interacts with brain receptors and the immune system the way research has reported, it may effectively relieve pain and inflammation.
At this point, the scientific evidence gathered from human research to back the therapeutic benefits of CBD oil is inadequate. As legislation surrounding the use of cannabis loosens in different countries, research into its usefulness and effects is also picking up pace.
If you are someone who is suffering from arthritis, CBD may be something to test out. With all the hype surrounding the product, it may just be the game changer you are looking for.
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