Arthritis is a leading cause of physical disability worldwide. The condition has no absolute cure, and most treatment options mainly target its core symptoms.
Arthritis can take various shapes. One of the most common forms of the disease is rheumatoid arthritis.
Over the last couple of years, CBD oil has been widely touted as an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. But does the compound work? That’s what this article seeks to find out.
What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune chronic inflammatory disorder that affects the joints.
The disease primarily affects the joints in the feet and hands. However, it can affect virtually any joint in the body.
Considering rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder, the condition can attack tissues and organs in addition to joints.
Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Pain and inflammation are the main symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. The disease usually begins with inflamed joints, which cause excruciating pain.
Other common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:
- Joint stiffness
- Joint tenderness
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Weight loss
Without urgent medical interventions, rheumatoid arthritis can cause progressive bone erosion, which results in joint deformity.
Treatments for Rheumatoid Arthritis and the Role of CBD
There’s no cure for rheumatoid arthritis. As we’ve already indicated, the disease can only be managed.
Conventional treatments include analgesic and opioid drugs for pain management and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for alleviating inflammation. These drugs constitute a particular class of medications called anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDS).
Medical marijuana experts now claim that cbd oil may also help slow the progression of rheumatoid arthritis. CBD oil simply refers to oil derived from cannabidiol, the primary therapeutic compound in cannabis. The compound is usually prescribed for several medical ailments.
But exactly how can cannabidiol oil mediate rheumatoid arthritis?
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CBD Oil May Relieve Joint Pain
Pain relief is the main reason medical cannabis doctors prescribe cannabidiol oil. Pain is also one of the primary symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
Numerous studies have established the effectiveness of cannabidiol oil against pain. CBD oil treats pain by impacting the vanilloid receptors, a particular group of endocannabinoid receptors that transmit pain signals from various body parts to the brain.
According to a 2008 review analyzing the use of cannabidiol in treating chronic pain, it emerged that CBD could relieve pain and boost sleep quality. The review also found that cannabidiol presented fewer and less severe adverse effects compared to common pain and sleep medications.
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CBD Oil May Ease Joint Inflammation
Not only can cannabidiol oil combat the pain resulting from bone erosion in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. CBD oil can also manage the swelling associated with the condition. That’s due to its inhibitory effects on cytokines and chemokines, two of the body’s proteins involved in relaying inflammatory messenger signals.
Additional research on cannabidiol’s anti-inflammatory effects has yielded positive findings.
For instance, a 2016 study on the efficacy of cannabidiol oil on rats found that applying CBD-infused gel released both pain and inflammation. And like the 2008 review above, researchers also noted that CBD presented fewer and less worrying side effects.
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CBD Oil May Sooth Joint Stiffness and Tenderness
Joint stiffness and tenderness caused by rheumatoid arthritis only worsen the pain and swelling induced by the condition. Fortunately, this is another area where you can benefit by using cannabidiol oil.
CBD oil contains vasodilatory properties, allowing it to expand constricted blood vessels around inflamed joints. This might create a soothing effect.
Also, by dilating narrowed blood vessels, CBD oil subsequently increases the supply of nutrients and oxygenated blood to the swollen areas. The phenomenon can further help to alleviate inflammation.
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CBD Oil May Combat Fatigue
Cannabis is famous for its stimulating effects. Most of the plant’s energizing properties are credited to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), its main psychoactive chemical.
However, some CBD-based products tend to contain significant THC levels. Such products go by the label ‘full-spectrum.’
Investing in full-spectrum CBD oil is a proactive way of combating the fatigue induced by rheumatoid arthritis. Just remember to consume these products in moderation. That’s especially if you’re new to THC’s mind-altering effects.
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CBD Oil May Improve Sleep Quality
We’ve already referenced a review suggesting that cannabidiol oil may improve sleep quality. CBD oil is a potent sedative and can mitigate insomnia induced by rheumatoid arthritis by reducing sleep onset time.
And once you fall asleep, cannabidiol oil prolongs sleep duration by minimizing the feelings of pain and inflammation while also reducing the duration taken at rapid eye movement sleep (REM). REM sleep, as the name implies, is a sleep phase marked by rapid involuntary eye twitching within the sockets, coupled with heightened brain activity.
Most dreams occur during REM sleep, which is okay for normal people. But for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the dreams can manifest as sleep-disrupting nightmares. It doesn’t help that rheumatoid arthritis presents as unbearable pain. By reducing the duration of REM sleep, CBD oil allows you to enjoy restful sleep every night.
Studies have also shown that CBD oil may help with REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). RBD is a sleep disorder characterized by the unconscious dramatization of dreams.
Summary
Cannabidiol oil may not be the magic pill for rheumatoid arthritis. However, the substance provides numerous healing benefits and may mitigate some of RA’s most bothersome symptoms.