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Ask A Doctor – CBD For Arthritis & Joint Pain

Ask a doctor
Written by Dr. Leah Zachar

What are the ins and outs of decreasing joint pain and Arthritis? What is Rheumatoid Arthritis? And most importantly – How could good quality CBD in the right doses potentially help manage the symptoms?…

Question: How does CBD work to decrease pain in the joint?

Answer: CBD binds to GPR55. GPR55 is considered by some scientists to be a potential third metalotropic cannabinoid receptor. When CBD binds to GPR55, it stops the nocioceptive pain fiber from firing. When this happens, the swollen joint cannot “tell” the brain that there is pain. CBD binds to the chemo- (responds to swelling) & thermosensitive (responds to heat) TRPA1 & TRPV1 receptors.

The TRP receptors are located inside of the joints. When a joint is swollen, or warm, these receptors are activated. When the TRPA1 and TRPV1 receptors are stimulated, they become desensitized, and block transmission. Just like the GPR55 receptor, the TRPV1/2 receptors prevent the swollen joint from “talking” to the brain. The TRP receptors that the CBD blocks results in an added benefit. Blocking the TRP receptor results in reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine release. In plain language that means that CBD, when binding to the TRP receptor stops inflammation.

Question: Can CBD stop the progression of rheumatoid arthritis?

Answer: This question was answered in an international journal called “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America” in August 2000.
The researchers induced two types of autoimmune diseases in mice – rheumatoid arthritis and relapsing arthritis. They then observed the mice develop the same type of arthritis that is seen in humans. After the symptoms began, the scientists then administered CBD. In both types of arthritis, the CBD blocked progression. The dose that gave the optimum results was 25 mg/kg.

They then examined inflammatory markers, and found that there was a decrease in IFN-γ production, as well as a decreased release of tumor necrosis factor by knee synovial cells.
CBD also suppressed lymphocyte proliferation, granulocyte release of reactive agents, and lipopolysaccharide-induced rise in serum tumor necrosis factor.

The result: CBD blocked the proteins that cause the inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis.
This study has been reproduced many times since, with the same results.
Conclusion: CBD, through its combined immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory actions, has a potent anti-arthritic effect in the arthritis of autoimmune diseases.

Question: What are main types of arthritis?

Answer: The two most common types of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. A person’s body attacks their own joints. This form of arthritis usually affects the hands & feet. The result -> painful, swollen, stiff, & crippled joints. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease. It is seen in the older population & it is far more common than rheumatoid arthritis. It affects predominantly the weight-bearing joints such as the hips, knees, & back. The result -> painful, swollen

As per your request, we are moving the weekly In-house doctor session from Thursday at 1 pm EST, to Thursday at 3 pm EST (That’s UK’s 20:00, NYC’s 15:00 and LA’s 12:00)

If you want to read more from Dr Zachar, check out: ‘Ask A Doctor – CBD Samplers, Purified Vs. Plant CBD

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About the author

Dr. Leah Zachar

Dr. Leah Zachar, M.D. is a physician who worked for nearly thirty years in Internal Medicine.
She currently is a scientific adviser to CBD Testers. Dr. Zachar believes that there is much that medical cannabis, and cannabidiol in particular can offer to traditional medicine.