CBD Cream for Arthritis and Osteoarthritis: What Pain Can It Ease?

Cannabidiol (CBD) cream, the most common kind of cannabis cream, is mostly used for joint pain, especially the pain and inflammation of arthritis and osteoarthritis, plus sore muscles. CBD acts on the body's cannabinoid receptors; patients report, and early animal studies suggest, that it can ease local pain and swelling without getting you high, but solid human trials are still scarce. CBD itself is one of the main compounds in cannabis: it's found in the resinous flower, can make up as much as 45% of the plant's extract, and is one of the 100-plus cannabinoids unique to the cannabis plant.

It's known as a non-psychoactive (non-intoxicating) natural compound with huge therapeutic potential. Researchers keep working to understand its properties and whether it can improve symptoms of various conditions and, with that, patients' quality of life.

Two of the conditions getting attention in CBD research are arthritis and osteoarthritis. But what exactly are they?

Arthritis vs. osteoarthritis: are they the same thing?

Arthritis and osteoarthritis are both rheumatic diseases that cause pain and affect the joints. They sound like the same thing, but they're not: they differ both in their causes and in how they're treated.

Arthritis

Arthritis is inflammation of the synovial membrane, which causes synovial fluid to spread through the joint instead of being reabsorbed, steadily eroding both bone and cartilage.

Your body uses that synovial fluid to lubricate the joints and keep them working the way they should. Arthritis can be caused by infection, injury, autoimmune disease or crystal deposits.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, on the other hand, is a chronic degenerative process that affects cartilage, the cushion between the bones in a joint that keeps them from rubbing together.

Little by little, the cartilage wears away and the bones start grinding against each other. That leads to serious pain and loss of flexibility in the joints. It's closely tied to aging, but other factors like obesity or overworking a joint can also cause it.

For a long time, painkillers have been the default way to manage this pain. In recent years, though, that's started to change with cannabis oil and cannabis cream for pain, which many users find gentler, with few reported side effects.

What does cannabis cream do?

Medical cannabis for arthritis and osteoarthritis is one of the big natural alternatives to the painkillers usually taken for the pain both conditions cause.

Using cannabis cream for this kind of pain has caught on because CBD acts on the body's cannabinoid receptors, an effect patients report helps ease the pain and inflammation of both conditions.

How does cannabis pain cream work?

A cannabis pain cream may dampen the body's response to painful stimuli and the nerve signals that carry pain (nociceptive signals) by acting on CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors.

Backing this up, a study published in the European Journal of Pain found that CBD applied to the skin reduced joint swelling and pain behavior in rats with arthritis. The Arthritis Foundation has also published guidance noting that many people with arthritis use CBD creams and oils, and that some report relief from symptoms of both conditions, while calling for more research.

Potential benefits of cannabis oil for bone and joint pain

We've said it many times: cannabis cream and oil for osteoarthritis and arthritis may reduce pain and inflammation. But there are other potential upsides too:

• It's natural, generally considered safe and not known to be addictive.
• It may reduce the need for painkillers or opioids.
• Few adverse side effects have been reported with topical use.
• It may help you fall asleep and get better-quality rest.

Cannabis for pain (we're talking CBD here) is said not to cause any psychoactive effects because it doesn't contain THC, the compound behind the cannabis high, which can bring dizziness, anxiety, a distorted sense of reality and loss of coordination, among other things. In fact, CBD can actually tone down THC's well-known psychoactive effects, thanks to its anti-anxiety and anti-panic properties.

How should you use cannabis cream for pain?

Experts in the field say CBD can be taken in ways that act locally or throughout the whole body, and for localized pain, CBD creams and other ointments stand out as the go-to option.

To get the most out of cannabis cream for sore muscles and joints, apply it two or three times a day, using enough to cover the whole affected area. Don't overdo it, though: too much can irritate the skin where you apply it or cause other side effects.

What else does research say about cannabis pain cream?

Beyond everything documented about CBD, some early, mostly animal research suggests it might help regenerate damaged joints and contribute to healing. CBD has also been described as helping with bone fracture repair in animal studies.

That 2016 study, done in rats, reported that applying CBD to the skin over arthritic joints reduced pain and inflammation without adverse effects.

Another study from 2000, done in mice, found that CBD blocked the progression of arthritis whether it was given by injection or orally. It also hinted at a possible effect against osteoporosis.

Despite all these studies and what's been documented about CBD, there's still a lot of research to do before any of this can be confirmed in humans.

Before you apply or use any CBD product, we recommend seeing a doctor who knows the subject so they can check you out and tell you how to use cannabis topicals.