Medical Cannabis For Arthritis – Major Breakthrough In Medical Science

Today nearly 54 million adults are affected by arthritis in the USA alone. No wonder why medical science is on its toes to figure out ways to treat arthritis. Interestingly, arthritis is not a single medical ailment but an immense group of several medical conditions that involve joint pains. Most of the patients report hindrance to their daily activities significantly due to the symptoms of arthritis.[1]

An analytical approach reveals that most of the patients lie somewhere above 60 years of age. Although it can also affect young people, older people are way more vulnerable than younger ones.

A group of up to 200 types of diseases, arthritis, is being treated in several ways, including proper conventional medications and natural herbal remedies. Some studies immensely support the effects of medical cannabis for arthritis pain. Also, medical practitioners suggest that their patients’ experiences clearly show the positive effects of therapeutic massages and healthy physical activities for the improvement of the condition.

This Write-up is all about various aspects of treating arthritis, including the effects of medical cannabis for arthritis.

What are the Prime Causes of Arthritis?

There are various types of arthritis, and thus, their causes vary accordingly. It’s important to understand the root causes before you try to dig into the ways of treating them.

Many types of arthritis have distinct combinations of causes that might be prevented to worsen the condition. However, some types develop without any apparent reason, making them unpredictable to a great extent. The following is a brief account of the prime causes of arthritis.

• Sometimes an injury leads to persistent degeneration that ultimately develops degenerative arthritis.
• Abnormal metabolic activities of the body might also lead to gout.
• Some types of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis, are transmitted through genes and run in families.
• Immune system dysfunction is one of the prime causes of arthritis of many types.
• Infections and Inflammation.
• Factors like physically demanding occupations for long periods might also contribute to the development of arthritis. Such factors make the patients more vulnerable to disease than other people.
• Some types of arthritis-like gout are caused by diet-related issues. When one consumes a diet rich in purines, it leads to an increased uric acid level, which causes arthritis. Also, animal-derived foods have a tendency to elevate inflammation which makes the symptoms worse.

What are the Risk Factors for Arthritis?

Arthritis has various risk factors associated with it.

1. Age: Mostly, arthritis starts to develop as age advances. Older people are more likely to fall prey to arthritis than younger ones. This is because the degenerative processes are faster and stronger in older age.
2. Genetic Makeup: certain types of arthritis run in families; thus, some genes are more vulnerable to developing arthritis.
3. Gender: survey reveals that 60% of arthritis patients are females, suggesting that females are more likely to develop arthritis.
4. Body Mass: obesity plays a considerable role in the development of arthritis. It not only worsens the condition but also makes it hard to treat. People with obesity are more likely to get arthritis.
5. Joint Injury: In case of injury in the joint region, one might develop osteoarthritis due to inflammation and other factors. Joint injuries must be treated well in time to avoid long-term effects.
6. Other Conditions: Persisting conditions of microbial invasion can infect the joints. It ultimately triggers arthritis of different kinds. 

What Are Different Types And Symptoms of Arthritis?

There are several types of arthritis characterized by different symptoms. It’s substantially important to pinpoint what kind of arthritis you’re going through to start the treatment. Here’s all about the major types of arthritis:

1. Osteoarthritis:

Most arthritis patients are going through osteoarthritis, which can more easily be comprehended as “wear and tear” or degeneration in the tissues of your joints. It generally develops when joints are persistently exposed to high exertion or large body mass. People of advancing age are more likely to get osteoarthritis. It mostly affects:

• Spine
• Feel
• Hips
• Knees

Characterized by the following symptoms:

• Pinching pain in the joints
• Makes it hard to move.
• Joint stiffness for at least 30 minutes after waking up.
• Walking may get hard due to chronic pain.

2. Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis, more commonly termed as RA, is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation in the joints due to the body’s inflammatory response. Patients experience severe joint pain and inflammation, which might also lead to the appearance of rheumatoid nodules on the skin. This type of arthritis mainly affects:

• Joints
• Knuckles
• Heels

Characterized By the Following Symptoms:

• You may notice a systematic pattern of symptoms in the joints. For example, inflammation in your right heel will always be accompanied by the same level of inflammation in the left heel.
• Joints get very stiff and start to feel warm and swollen.
• Mornings are full of pain and fatigue, which may last for several hours after you wake up.

3. Gout

Gout is characterized by a condition in which your joints develop crystals of uric acid built up inside. This condition is mostly caused due to poor diet. When your body makes excessive amounts of uric acid, it leads to gout.

Characterized By the Following Symptoms:

• Sharp pain is followed by subtle pain in your joints, which means that your joints are less likely to be completely free from pain in this condition.
• The joints seem red and inflamed.

Benefits of Medical Cannabis for Arthritis:  How Cannabis Can Help With Arthritis?

Cannabis is a whole powerhouse of several cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. Packed with such an enormous variety of chemical species, it makes the perfect fit for people dealing with medical conditions like Arthritis. Arthritis patients face several symptoms that the cannabis plant can deal with pretty proficiently. Arthritis is generally characterized by inflammation, chronic pain, and microbial infection in a few kinds.

1. Management of Pain

The hardest part of dealing with arthritis is the chronic pain in joints. This pain makes even the simplest of tasks pretty daunting to accomplish for the patients. Daily activities such as climbing up the stairs are exhausting. That’s when cannabis comes to help. Patients happily consume cannabis for arthritis as it possesses highly effective abilities to fight off chronic pain. [2]

Cannabinoids of the cannabis plant are capable of actively interacting with the body’s endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system has charge over several body mechanisms, including pain signals management. Also, CBD, one of the abundant cannabinoids of the cannabis plant, is capable of intervening in the pathway of pain signals through TRPV1 channels.

2. Sleep better

Chronic pain is a part of arthritis patients’ lives, which leads to difficulty in falling asleep. Disturbed sleeping patterns make it hard for the body to promote healing mechanisms for the regeneration of tissues.

Although it is extremely important for the patients to get a good night’s sleep, it is difficult for them to sleep well for a sufficient amount of time. The cannabis plant has chemical components that help your body sleep well naturally. Cannabinoids can interact with adenosine receptors to make you feel sleepy.

3. Fight off inflammation

Cannabis tropical products are helpful to reduce inflammation in joints. A good massage can not only reduce inflammation but help the body to manage pain caused by inflammation. [3]

What Do The Researchers Have To Say?

A recent study brought forth exciting facts regarding the marvelous abilities of cannabis to heal the human body. More than 1400 users reported their experiences using cannabis products for treating medical conditions. Surprisingly it worked the best for patients suffering from pain. Half of them had used it for pain, most of which were arthritis patients. [4]

This experiment was closely analyzed by the experts, revealing that approximately 36% of people found that cannabis products were alone enough to heal the condition, and 30% of the users confirmed having a good experience with cannabis and conventional medications working together.

In 2021, researchers put in their conscious efforts to analyze the effects of cannabis products on osteoarthritis patients. Over 150 patients acted as the control group for the experiment, while 48 others as the experiment group. Lastly, all of them were recommended for surgical consultation, and a slight improvement was observed in the condition of 48 patients who had used cannabis products. [5]

Researchers are still on their way to figuring out the optimal dosage for arthritis patients. Also, they’re trying to figure out which chemical components of the cannabis plant work the best to treat different forms of arthritis in patients of various age groups.

Final Thoughts:

Arthritis is characterized by several painful symptoms. With a huge plethora of health benefits, these symptoms can be easily reduced in intensity using cannabis products. There are several ways you can use medical cannabis for arthritis to eliminate the need for invasive treatments without any significant side effects.

1. https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/data_statistics/national-statistics.html
2. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/cannabis-marijuana-and-cannabinoids-what-you-need-to-know
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4851925/
4. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/can.2018.0006
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7861619/