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Will CBD Oil Help Your Arthritis Pain?

Cannabidiol has been studied for its ability to relieve joint pain in animals. Some readers think it might also help ease your arthritis pain.

What do you do for your arthritis pain? Some people get by with pain relievers like ibuprofen or naproxen. Others embrace home remedies. The wide range of possibilities, from foods like tart cherries or raisins soaked in gin to acupuncture or supplements such as ashwagandha or MSM, suggests that no one approach works for everybody. One reader is enthusiastic about CBD oil.

Could CBD Oil Ease Your Arthritis Pain?

Q. CBD oil is the most effective remedy for my arthritis. I took meloxicam for years, but the side effects made me look for alternative relief.

CBD oil from hemp is fantastic for arthritis pain. It’s good for a number of other things, too.

What Is CBD Oil?

A. CBD stands for cannabidiol, a compound found in Cannabis sativa. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD does not make people high. There are some hints that it may be useful for pain relief, so we are pleased to learn it is helping your arthritis pain.

Scientific Study of Cannabidiol:

It’s unfortunate that so little research has been done on the effects of cannabidiol for treating arthritis in humans. We found a few studies on rats and mice. There is also a recent double-blind placebo-controlled trial in dogs (Pain, April 24, 2020).

The investigators found that low-dose cannabidiol was no better than placebo, but high-dose cannabidiol was helpful. The authors suggest that CBD might be helpful in treating pain and improving quality of life for humans as well as dogs with osteoarthritis. Other scientists have also bemoaned the lack of clinical trials of CBD for joint pain (Cureus, March 23, 2020).

You have clearly found a supplement that is helpful for your arthritis pain. Others who wish to try it will need to check that it is legal in their location and consider the quality of the product being sold. As with other supplements, strength and purity may vary. We would check ConsumerLab.com as a resource on a reliable product.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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Citations
  • Verrico CD et al, "A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of daily cannabidiol for the treatment of canine osteoarthritis pain." Pain, April 24, 2020. DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001896
  • Gusho CA & Court T, "Cannabidiol: A brief review of Its therapeutic and pharmacologic efficacy in the management of joint disease." Cureus, March 23, 2020. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.7375
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