CBD Cream for Arthritis: Is it Good for Athletes?

Do you know that more than 54 million people in the US have arthritis? Yes, that’s more than 20% of the total population of people in the nation. You should also know that more than 60% of people suffering from this health problem are those between the age of 18 to 60 years. While there are various traditional medicinal methods and ways to stop the spread of arthritis, it has recently been discovered that CBD might have the potential to solve this common but complex problem.

If you live in America, then you must have already learned about the pros of CBD, a naturally-occurring compound that is making waves across the world for its extraordinary ability to provide relief in various mental, physical, and emotional problems, such as anxiety, depression, headaches and body pains, skin problems, digestive issues – basically everything!

Due to its massive popularity, CBD is available in many formulations in the market. Thus, it is important to know which variant will work the best for your health condition, in this case, we will talk about arthritis. Well, you must know that CBD oil and creams are known to work the best for arthritis patients. We have a world full of information regarding CBD oil, so in this article, let’s learn whether CBD cream works for this problem and if there are any side effects of using the same?

What is CBD cream?

CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the many compounds found in the cannabis plant. Even so, it is a non-psychoactive compound because it contains little or zero amount of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the high-producing compound, which is also a cannabis product. Thus, when you smoke marijuana, the high amount of THC present in the product produces the ‘high’ in you.

CBD cream is one of the popular formulations of CBD products that are available in the market. It is like any other cream and is applied on the skin directly to treat problems like swelling, bone or muscle ache, burnt skin, acne, and related problems.

What is arthritis?

Arthritis is the pain and problem resulted due to inflammation of joints or tissue around the joints. The inflammation leads to stiffness followed by pain in the joints. Some of the popular symptoms of this problem are included below-

•       Aching joints
•       Stiffness
•       Swelling
•       Difficulty in moving
•       Reduced flexibility and more

Arthritis has become the leading cause of disability in America. With one in four Americans dealing with this problem, it is high time that we put our attention towards this common and yet dangerous problem.

CBD cream and arthritis – do they work together?

The difference between CBD oil and cream is that the former is taken orally while the latter is used topically or directly applied on your skin, like any other cream.

CBD is said to have the potential to treat this condition on the basis of its working with the endocannabinoid system of the body (ECS), which is primarily responsible for regulating the physiological features of the body, such as pain, mood, digestion, skin problems, memory and other stuff. The cannabinoids released by CBD attach themselves with the CB1 and CB2 receptors of the system that are found in the brain and peripheral nervous system mostly. When the cannabinoids released by CBD enter the system, they attach themselves to the CB2 receptors of the body, which are responsible for releasing the natural cannabinoids in the body to bring a balance to the ECS and thus, the body. This state of balance is known as homeostasis.

The above state helps in healing all the problems and conditions of the body, whatever they may be. This also means that the pain and inflammation of the bones can also be reduced or completely removed to bring relief to people. This 2008 review concludes that CBD can possibly play a positive role in dealing with the

The clinical evidence based on CBD cream’s ability to work on arthritis-prone problems is quite limited. However, if you look for anecdotes, there are too many across the world to not believe the miraculous abilities to heal people from arthritis and related problems.

Under this article published by Harvard University, it has been mentioned that a randomized trial of topical CBD for osteoarthritis of the knee (in abstract form) resulted in mixed reviews. However, this trial concluded that “substantial evidence that cannabis is an effective treatment for chronic pain in adults.”

While the studies done on humans are quite limited, there are many trials done on animals to prove that CBD does have something to contribute in dealing with arthritis pain. Like this 2011 study, where it was observed that CBD helped in reducing inflammatory pain in rats by affecting the way the pain receptors respond to stimuli.

Another study done in 2016, revealed that the topical application of CBD has the potential to relieve pain and inflammation related to arthritis. This 2017 study revealed that CBD might be a safe and reliable treatment for Osteoarthritis.

While the above studies have thrown light on CBD’s contribution and potential in the successful treatment of arthritis, there is still a long way to go to confirm that CBD cream is an effective treatment for arthritis pain.

Are there any side-effects of CBD?

Since CBD is naturally-occurring, or a natural compound, there are certainly no known side-effects of any formulation of the compound, including CBD cream. However, one must always consult his or her doctor or a medical professional before starting their CBD course. Studies have also shown that CBD products are non-intoxicating, reliable and effective to consume. They are also non-addictive and do not develop any tolerance in people. In fact, they have the ability to develop reverse tolerance in patients. This means that even after they stop the course, people see positive changes in their health coming up.

Even so, there are certain side-effects that may come up during the initial in-take of the CBD. These are mentioned below-

•       Fatigue
•       Diarrhoea
•       Changes in weight
•       Changes in appetite
•       Oversleeping

Chances are that when you take CBD orally, the above side-effects may show for some time, and even that is highly unlikely. The effects will go away after a few hours. However, if you continue feeling uneasy for a long time, it is recommended to get a doctor’s consultation. Also, remember to buy products from a well-reputed company that has acquired the certificate of analysis (COA) and whose products are third-party lab tested. Also, you must check the amount of THC included in the product you are buying. It should be 0.3% or less and the same shall be mentioned on the package. If the amount of THC isn’t mentioned on the package, then it is best to move over to better companies like cbdMD and others. 

Conclusion

The final verdict is that CBD cream may be effective in the treatment of arthritis. However, the research on the same is quite limited. Even so, the people who have or are trying the topicals, oils and other CBD products have only positive things to say about the compound. They have found relief in the arthritis problem as well as other health conditions. Thus, it is recommended that if you are dealing with this problem, then CBD cream might be the answer for you. However, it is important for you to get a consultation with your doctor about the same, especially if you are already on traditional medicines. Remember, when it comes to your body, you should always be careful, but also not settle unless you find the solution to your problem-physical, mental, or emotional.