Can CBD help with my arthritis pain?

by Dr. Paul Utrie – OSMS Adult Rheumatologist and Owner
Dr. Utrie has been practicing rheumatology for over 20 years and is seeing patients at our Green Bay and Appleton locations. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Utrie here.

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is currently a hot topic in many areas of health care, as some patients have seen positive results after using it for various mental and physical health conditions.

CBD is an active ingredient in cannabis (marijuana) and plays a crucial role in medical marijuana. CBD, however, does not cause a “high” and is derived from the hemp plant.

CBD is most commonly used to treat epilepsy. It is also commonly used to alleviate anxiety and help with chronic pain. As a rheumatologist, many of my patients have asked me if CBD is a viable treatment for arthritic conditions.

Although the benefits of CBD sound harmless and appealing, there are safety and quality concerns that patients should be aware of.

CBD is not a medical product; it is an agricultural product and therefore is without quality oversight, study of benefits, drug interactions or any understanding of risk.  The industry that manufactures and markets this product is not obligated to provide this type of information before selling it to consumers.

All information available to date is not backed by scientific research and is not evidence-based. If CBD was a medical product, it would not be permitted to be on the market without more research.

This is not the first time in the past many decades that medical consumers have been marketed to heavily in such a fashion.  Magnets, copper bracelets, Noni Juice, MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane), glucosamine, chondroitin, gin soaked raisins and bee sting therapy are but a small sample of products making amazing claims only to fall by the wayside.

We don’t know what the future will be for CBD.  For now, our best advice is to do thorough research, make smart decisions and beware of products such as CBD that are not cleared for safety and quality standards.

If you would like to learn more about the effects of CBD specifically for arthritis patients, check out this article written by our friends at the Arthritis Foundation.