Cannabidiol (CBD) has the ability to activate cannabinoid receptors found within our bodies. Thanks to this, a cascade of multiple effects is produced that can help with the management of chronic pain and inflammation. For this reason, CBD cream has emerged as a potential ally for people with diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Prevalence
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic disease that predominantly affects the joints of the hands and feet, causing inflammation, stiffness, and pain. This disease affects around 1.3 million people in the USA with women being more susceptible to developing it.
A correct early diagnosis (prior to any medication) is a crucial step to increase the chances of structural preservation in the affected joints and to keep their normal physical functions as time goes.
To this end, the Arthritis Foundation has recommended a set of factors to take into account for this diagnosis:
- Genetic risk factors
- Environmental risk factors
- Cigarette smoke
- Systemic autoimmunity
- Symptoms present in the absence of arthritis
- Unclassified arthritis
It is important to note that not all patients can be affected by all these factors.
CBD Effects on Arthritis
Pain, stiffness, and inflammation are intrinsic parts of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Unfortunately, a possible cure for this disease is not known to exist today, so conventional drugs and medicine focus on reducing adverse effects, symptoms, and discomforts. It is often reported that only 10-25% of individuals with RA manifest a decrease in pain after using anti-inflammatory drugs or injections.
In many studies similar to those of Guindon and Hohmann, it is summarized that:
Cannabinoids suppress the behavioral response to noxious stimuli and nociceptive signals through the activation of the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2.
Our Endocannabinoid system is responsible for modulating a large number of functions, among which we have the attenuation of inflammation. These discoveries are even more encouraging when they work together with the use of in vivo and in vitro techniques in animal models, where it is found that CBD can reduce the effects produced by Tumor Necrosis Factors (TNF, promoter of inflammation). That is, CBD has the ability to activate a defense mechanism against tumors produced by diseases such as cancer and alleviate inflammation symptoms to some degree in conditions such as RA. As a result, patients using CBD products can experience a decrease in joint pain and an improvement in the quality of daily sleep.
All these studies are fascinating, there is a survey reporting that almost 62% of people using CBD stated that they use it for medical condition treatment such as pain, anxiety, and depression. Almost 36% of respondents said that CBD treats their medical condition(s) “very well by itself,” while only 4.3% said, “not very well.”
However, it is always better to see the effects of CBD use on a daily basis, especially by people desperate for a solution and who have already exhausted any other conventional alternative.
The Case of Garrett Geller
Here is a short story about a young man with arthritis who found a solution to his ailments with a CBD cream.
Garrett Geller was diagnosed with arthritis at the young age of 14, in his back, knees, and hands. His family, desperate and determined to find some way to ease his pain, decided to try every possible treatment available today, from anti-inflammatories, weekly injections starting at $ 2,500, and other methods with little to no results.
After exhausting all the options, the young man discovered a CBD cream in the state of California (United States). Just a small daily dose was enough to greatly relieve the pain caused by this disease. The young man was so influenced by the effectiveness of this product that he decided to create his own CBD cream production company (Uncle Bud’s), with the philosophy that these solutions should be available to anyone in need of them. Cases like this one are found all over the world, so it is important to bring these cases to a more controlled environment, where the effectiveness and required doses of CBD can be measured properly. In this way, CBD can be given the attention it deserves. It is still too early to determine where the research concerning cannabinoids can lead us, but fortunately, new positive facts about these compounds are discovered every day.