Chinese Study: Cannabis Could Help Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis Through CB2 Activation
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a type of chronic arthritis that affects joints on each side of the body. It is characterized by joint pain, swelling, stiffness, and fatigue.Cannabis has been used to help treat the inflammatory symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis for years. Despite anecdotal success, past research offers little insight into the mechanism involved in treating the condition with cannabis.
A recent study to be published in Rheumatology does just that, suggesting that the benefits could be attributed to activation of the CB2 receptor.
Researchers Investigate Rheumatoid Arthritis, Cannabinoid Treatment
Before diving into the study, it’s helpful to know that fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS)
are the type of cells most often associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
They become constantly engaged in inflammatory mechanisms, which causes
cartilage damage, joint destruction, and deformation over time.As we know, there are currently two widely-acknowledged cannabinoid receptors. Some suggest that more could exist, but not all are in agreement. Nonetheless, activation of the CB2 receptor in particular has shown promise in treating a number of inflammatory conditions.
“Activation of the CB2 receptor – which occurs when one consumes cannabis – could be a potential therapeutic target of rheumatoid arthritis.”A team of researchers from China sought to determine whether a similar mechanism could be beneficial for rheumatoid arthritis. In doing so, they investigated the potential effects of CB2 receptor activation in FLS-cell types.
According to their results, rheumatoid arthritis cell-types showed an increased amount of CB2 receptor expression. Further, activating the CB2 receptors seems to have inhibited the proliferation of the FLS cells associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
In conclusion, the Chinese researchers determined that activation of the CB2 receptor – which occurs when one consumes cannabis – could be a potential therapeutic target of rheumatoid arthritis.
Of course, this idea is nothing new. Cannabis infused topicals are a common method of treatment for joint pain, because they allow patients to target the areas in need of the most relief.
Cannabis has been used to help treat the inflammatory symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis for years. Despite anecdotal success, past research offers little insight into the mechanism involved in treating the condition with cannabis.
A recent study to be published in Rheumatology does just that, suggesting that the benefits could be attributed to activation of the CB2 receptor.
Researchers Investigate Rheumatoid Arthritis, Cannabinoid Treatment
Before diving into the study, it’s helpful to know that fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS)
are the type of cells most often associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
They become constantly engaged in inflammatory mechanisms, which causes
cartilage damage, joint destruction, and deformation over time.As we know, there are currently two widely-acknowledged cannabinoid receptors. Some suggest that more could exist, but not all are in agreement. Nonetheless, activation of the CB2 receptor in particular has shown promise in treating a number of inflammatory conditions.
“Activation of the CB2 receptor – which occurs when one consumes cannabis – could be a potential therapeutic target of rheumatoid arthritis.”A team of researchers from China sought to determine whether a similar mechanism could be beneficial for rheumatoid arthritis. In doing so, they investigated the potential effects of CB2 receptor activation in FLS-cell types.
According to their results, rheumatoid arthritis cell-types showed an increased amount of CB2 receptor expression. Further, activating the CB2 receptors seems to have inhibited the proliferation of the FLS cells associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
In conclusion, the Chinese researchers determined that activation of the CB2 receptor – which occurs when one consumes cannabis – could be a potential therapeutic target of rheumatoid arthritis.
Of course, this idea is nothing new. Cannabis infused topicals are a common method of treatment for joint pain, because they allow patients to target the areas in need of the most relief.
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Marijuana for Arthritis and Pain: Is There a Role?
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Cannabis in Pain and Arthritis: A Look at the Evidence
On Thursday, June 12, 2014 -- day 2 of the 2014 European League Against Rheumatism annual congress -- Dr. Mary-Ann Fitzcharles took the podium to discuss the use of medicinal marijuana in rheumatologic diseases. Dr. Fitzcharles is Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at McGill University in Montreal, and her talk[1] was part of a symposium looking at the possibility of repurposing old or established analgesics for rheumatic diseases.Fitzcharles began her talk with a historical look at cannabis use. The plant was first used in Europe and Asia around 5000 years ago, at which time scientists believe it contained very little tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive substance in today's marijuana. Eventually, more THC-heavy strains were propagated, and the ancient Chinese began using the plant medicinally around 2700 years ago. "Queen Victoria used cannabis for her menstrual cramps," Fitzcharles commented.
She then posed the question of why we have an endogenous cannabinoid system in the first place, before reviewing the correct dogma among experts. It's thought that our cannabinoid system is involved in maintaining homeostasis, particularly in terms of stress, sleep, and modulation of pain. Furthermore, although they are often thought of for their neuro- and psychoactive effects, cannabinoid receptors are actually fairly ubiquitous throughout the body. They're found on cells of the joints, bone, skin, and immune system, as well as on neurons.
Preclinical work in animals has found cannabinoids to be effective in nearly every acute pain model tested, likening them to some opioids in terms of their analgesic effects. Rodent models of arthritis demonstrate increased endocannabinoids in the spinal cord and upregulation of both cannabinoid receptor subtypes, CB1 and CB2. A recent study reported at the European Calcified Tissue Society Congress 2014 found that mice with destabilized knee joints had 40% more cartilage degeneration if they were deficient in these CB2 receptors.[2] A study in humans suggests the presence of cannabinoid receptors on the synovia.[3] So it appears that the endocannabinoid system has relevance to rheumatology.
However, with the good comes the bad, particularly in terms of brain function. Too much cannabinoid exposure can worsen memory, affect the reward system (and therefore have addiction implications), and impair cognition.
Medical Marijuana For Arthritis: A Natural Cure?
TruthOnPot.com – Medical marijuana seems to be a gift from nature for anyone who suffers from pain, which is a symptom that most patients with arthritis are all-too-familiar with. Interestingly, the earliest evidence of medical marijuana’s use as a treatment for arthritis dates as far back as 2800 BC, which makes it more of a historical finding than a scientific breakthrough.Today, more than 31 million Americans suffer from arthritis. And while the Arthritis Foundation lists over 100 different medications that are available for this disease, many patients continue to suffer from painful and often debilitating symptoms without adequate relief.
For those patients, medical marijuana seems to provide hope.
What is Arthritis?
Arthritis is a joint disorder that can affect anyone of any age, but is most common among the aging population. Arthritis is characterized by inflammation of the joints, which is often accompanied by severe pain.Although there are over 100 different forms of arthritis, the most common are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Both cause pain and swelling of the joints and result in limited movement.
Pharmaceutical advancements have resulted in a wide availability of arthritis drugs, which are more helpful to some individuals than others. For patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the use of anti-rheumatic drugs may be able to slow disease progression during earlier stages. However, the vast majority of patients must depend on lifelong treatment in order to mitigate joint damage and functional losses.
Unfortunately, there are no drugs available that can slow the progression of osteoarthritis and traditional anti-inflammatory drugs are not always effective in relieving symptoms of pain. Furthermore, drugs used to treat both forms of arthritis are often accompanied by intolerable side-effects. As a result, arthritis research continues to investigate new modes of therapy, which has led scientists to consider nature’s oldest form of arthritis medicine – medical marijuana.
How Can Marijuana Help?
Anecdotal evidence of marijuana’s benefits is clear. A survey conducted in 2005 found that 16% of medical marijuana users in the UK were using it to treat symptoms of arthritis. Scientific research lends support to this finding, as studies show that medical marijuana can be beneficial for sufferers of arthritis in a variety of ways.Perhaps the strongest scientific evidence comes from studies that have found cannabinoids – the active compounds in marijuana – to have both anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. Furthermore, studies suggest that the endocannabinoid system may play a direct role in regulating bone mass and may even be able to protect against the breakdown of cartilage.
Unfortunately, most of the research on cannabinoids has been limited to animal models and arthritis is no exception. Even still, numerous studies have provided overwhelming evidence of medical marijuana’s ability to reduce joint inflammation and related pain symptoms. Based on these preliminary findings, researchers have slowly shifted their attention to humans in recent years.
In 2004, GW Pharmaceuticals – the makers of Sativex – sponsored one of the only clinical trials to investigate the effect of marijuana-derived compounds on patients with arthritis.
The study was conducted on 58 patients with rheumatoid arthritis who reported insufficient relief from traditional medications. After using Sativex – an oral spray containing marijuana-derived cannabinoids THC and CBD – over a 5 week period, the patients reported significant improvements across a number of symptoms, including pain on movement, pain at rest, and quality of sleep. Furthermore, Sativex seemed to be well tolerated by patients, exhibiting much milder side-effects than the majority of conventional arthritis treatments.
While the Sativex study did not investigate the biological mechanisms behind these improvements, more recent studies have been able to confirm the therapeutic role of the endocannabinoid system in arthritis.
For instance, a study published in 2008 was able to show for the first time that cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 are present in the knee joints of patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. What’s more, the study identified the presence of two endocannabinoids – anandamide and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) – in the synovial fluid of arthritis patients, but not in samples taken from healthy volunteers. Endocannabinoids are known to be synthesized and released by the body in response to a variety of biological dysfunctions, suggesting that activity of the endocannabinoid system may be one of the body’s natural mechanisms for fighting arthritis.
What This Means For Your Health
While research seems promising, it is important for patients to remember that only one clinical trial has been completed so far. As a result, it is likely that health professionals will remain apprehensive for the time being about the use of cannabinoids for the treatment of arthritis in actual practice.Even still, a combination of strong preclinical and anecdotal evidence suggests that medical marijuana may indeed be able to relieve symptoms of pain and joint inflammation and without the debilitating side-effects common to traditional arthritis medications.
“It’s not going to cure the disease, but it will do a lot to alleviate the pain and suffering of people with rheumatoid arthritis. Cannabis is probably less harmful than other available painkillers.” – Arthritis Research CampaignAs it stands today, it is difficult for even doctors to deny the potential benefits that arthritis patients may gain from using medical marijuana as an alternative to pharmaceuticals.
Marijuana Works to Treat Arthritis Pain
Marijuana can be used as a viable treatment option against moderate to severe arthritis pain, as a new report indicates that nearly a third of Canadians currently enrolled in the medical marijuana program roll joints for chronic joint pain.
A recent survey conducted by Health Canada and the Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids found that about 36-percent of Canadian medical marijuana patients, representing the largest group using cannabis to treat any medical condition, regularly smoke weed to calm arthritis pain.
Researchers from the University of Nottingham, who were commissioned earlier this year by Arthritis Research U.K. and the National Institutes of Heath to study the effects of marijuana on osteoarthritis patients, recently discovered that cannabis treatment in rat models proved to be successful at interfering with pain signals from the spinal cord and ultimately alleviating pain.
The study, which explored the natural cannabinoid receptors found in the body, uncovered significant evidence that suggests that marijuana has a “well described anti-inflammatory effect” when these pathways are triggered. What’s more is that tissue samples obtained from both rats and human study participants displayed indicators that the body naturally embraces this method of managing pain.
Researchers concluded that because of the effect cannabinoids have on the human spinal cord, marijuana could be considered a suitable treatment alternative for those suffering from the early stages of osteoarthritis.
Many medical experts concur, saying that natural cannabis needs to receive more consideration and recognition in the realm of effective pain management.
Mike Adams writes for Playboy's The Smoking Jacket, BroBible and Hustler Magazine. Follow him: @adamssoup; facebook.com/mikeadams73.
A recent survey conducted by Health Canada and the Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids found that about 36-percent of Canadian medical marijuana patients, representing the largest group using cannabis to treat any medical condition, regularly smoke weed to calm arthritis pain.
Researchers from the University of Nottingham, who were commissioned earlier this year by Arthritis Research U.K. and the National Institutes of Heath to study the effects of marijuana on osteoarthritis patients, recently discovered that cannabis treatment in rat models proved to be successful at interfering with pain signals from the spinal cord and ultimately alleviating pain.
The study, which explored the natural cannabinoid receptors found in the body, uncovered significant evidence that suggests that marijuana has a “well described anti-inflammatory effect” when these pathways are triggered. What’s more is that tissue samples obtained from both rats and human study participants displayed indicators that the body naturally embraces this method of managing pain.
Researchers concluded that because of the effect cannabinoids have on the human spinal cord, marijuana could be considered a suitable treatment alternative for those suffering from the early stages of osteoarthritis.
Many medical experts concur, saying that natural cannabis needs to receive more consideration and recognition in the realm of effective pain management.
Mike Adams writes for Playboy's The Smoking Jacket, BroBible and Hustler Magazine. Follow him: @adamssoup; facebook.com/mikeadams73.
Cannabis compound relieves pain from osteoarthritis
(NaturalNews) Pain from osteoarthritis leaves many debilitated due to
stiff and swollen joints. While prescriptions are readily available for
osteoarthritis sufferers, they often leave patients with the choice of
living between two worlds: If they take prescription pills, they may
live with less physical pain yet suffer from the wide array of side
effects that pharmaceuticals are equipped with. If they choose not to
take prescriptions due to side effects, they will live in the chronic
physical pain caused by osteoarthritis. Basically, they are forced to
choose between one form of pain or another. However, this may not be the
case for much longer.
According to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Nottingham UK, alongside researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Virginia Commonwealth University
in the US, a specific cannabinoid is reduced during osteoarthritis,
thus resulting in heightened pain and more rapid progression of the
condition. Therefore it was concluded that activating the specific
cannabinoid reduced in osteoarthritis patients, known as cannabinoid 2
(CB2), not only reduces pain, but also helps maintain symptoms and
inhibits the speed at which the disease progresses as well.
Researchers
studied human spines of deceased individuals who lived with
osteoarthritis of the knee and discovered they had lower levels of CB2
receptors. The more progressed the disease was, the lower the CB2
receptor levels were. In response, Research UK and the National Institutes of Health funded a study in which researchers activated CB2 receptors in lab rats with osteoarthritis
in an attempt to reduce pain. The diseased rats were injected with
JWH-133, a non-psychoactive synthetic cannabinoid that binds with CB2
receptors to activate them, and the results were nothing short of
fascinating.
Study reveals a new potential method for pain relief from osteoarthritis
Results showed treating osteoarthritis by increasing CB2 receptors with the use of JWH-133 injections reduced chemicals responsible for causing inflammation in osteoarthritis, reduced excitatory nerves in the spine that are stimulated by inflammation, and increased the overall amount of CB2 receptor "message" (MRNA) and protein in nerve cells of the spine. To put it simply, activating the cannabinoid receptors that are drastically reduced in osteoarthritis patients reduced inflammation, thus reducing pain and allowing the individual to lead a higher quality of life. Furthermore, since patients with late stage osteoarthritis have drastically reduced levels of CB2 receptor "message" in the spine, increasing levels of the CB2 receptor "message" might greatly reduce the severity and rate of progression of the disease.Sources for this article include:
http://www.nursingtimes.net
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0080440
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Treating Pain With Medical Marijuana
Research suggests cannabis has promise for easing arthritis-related pain, inflammation and more – but some doctors caution that’s only part of the picture.
Taking the “con” view, Stuart L. Silverman, MD, attending physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, Calif., argued that although some cannabis research was compelling, inconsistent dosing and quality-control issues, as well as a lack of well-controlled research, meant marijuana was not “ready for prime time,” particularly where arthritis was concerned.
Taking the “pro” position, Arthur Kavanaugh, MD, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego (who declined to be interviewed for this article), argued that the type of carefully controlled trials Dr. Silverman called for had not been conducted on aspirin, either, and that cannabis – used medicinally for nearly 5,000 years – had few side effects, eased pain from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and might reduce inflammation as well.
Drs. Silverman and Kavanaugh didn’t reach any firm conclusions, but after multiple rheumatologists in the audience revealed that many of their patients were inquiring about or already using cannabis, one thing was clear: Medical marijuana had gone mainstream. Yet many in the medical establishment have strong concerns.
Currently, 20 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized limited use of medical marijuana for certain conditions, and nine more states may follow suit. (Some, including California, permit it for arthritis; others, such as New Jersey, do not.) Two states, Washington and Colorado, have decriminalized even its recreational use. A 2011 Journal of Pain survey revealed that almost 10 percent of Americans with chronic pain use marijuana. Although it’s unclear how many of those have arthritis, large-scale surveys from the United Kingdom and Australia indicate that roughly one-third of people who use medical marijuana do so for arthritis – and most report considerable pain relief. Additionally, a Canadian study in Arthritis Care & Research found that among 457 patients with fibromyalgia, 13 percent used cannabis to manage their disease.
How It Works
Research shows that, among other things, cannabis eases chemotherapy-induced nausea and loss of appetite, and relieves spasms in individuals with multiple sclerosis. Even so, pain relief is perhaps the most well-recognized and studied effect.
Several decades ago, scientists discovered that mammals, including humans, have a pain-regulating system (the endocannabinoid system) with receptors in nervous system tissue, immune cells and bone and joint tissue. These receptors respond to cannabinoids, a set of compounds that include endocannabinoids, which the body creates on its own; and phyto-cannabinoids, plant-based compounds found in marijuana that are very similar to endocannabinoids.
The best known cannabinoids are THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive compound in cannabis) and CBD (cannabidiol, a major constituent of the plant thought to act as a sedative and reduce inflammation, nausea and convulsions). They have complex mechanisms, but in a nutshell, cannabinoids can reduce pain by acting on certain receptors.
Of the two main cannabis species – sativa and indica – sativa contains higher THC and lower CBD levels and produces a more euphoric “high.” Indica has higher CBD and lower THC levels and is used to aid sleep and ease pain.
Cannabinoids also seem to have a positive impact on some other pain medications. One study, in Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics in 2011, found that chronic pain patients using long-acting oxycodone or long-acting morphine who inhaled vaporized herbal cannabis experienced a significant decrease in pain – far more than with the opioids alone. Though the study was of just 21 patients, study author Donald I. Abrams, MD, professor of clinical medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, says it “suggests that cannabis has the potential to relieve pain and decrease use of opioids, which, unlike cannabis, are associated with major side effects.”
http://www.arthritistoday.org/arthritis-treatment/natural-and-alternative-treatments/remedies-and-therapies/medical-marijuana.php
Could cannabis compound soothe arthritis pain?
“Synthetic cannabis-like molecule developed in lab could help osteoarthritis sufferers,” reports The Daily Telegraph.Anecdotal reports of cannabis’s ability to soothe chronic pain conditions such as osteoarthritis have been available for many years.
Aside from the obvious legal issues (cannabis is a Class B illegal drug), cannabis also carries the risk of side effects and complications such as psychosis and depression.
So a compound containing the drug’s painkilling ability without its psychoactive effects could lead to useful new treatments.
One candidate is “JWH133” a chemical that binds to and activates the cannabinoid 2 (CB2) receptor. Receptors are proteins found on the surfaces of cells. When activated receptors cause a response inside cells. The CB2 receptor is also activated by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive constituent in cannabis. Activating the CB2 receptor is thought to relieve pain and inflammation.
The new research found evidence that JWH133 relieves pain in a rat model of arthritis. Importantly, the JWH133 compound is selective for CB2 receptors and does not activate cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptors. CB1 receptors are found in the brain and are believed to be responsible for the psychological effects of cannabis.
So this suggests JWH133 may be a useful candidate for an osteoarthritis treatment. However, this is very early stage research only involving rats.
As Professor Alan Silman, medical director of Arthritis UK, says in the press coverage, this research does not support recreational cannabis use.
Where did the story come from?
The study was carried out by researchers from the University of Nottingham in the UK in collaboration with researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Virginia Commonwealth University in the US. It was funded by Arthritis Research UK and the National Institutes of Health.The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One. PLOS One is an open-access journal, meaning that all the research it publishes can be accessed for free.
This study was reported on by the Daily Express and The Telegraph. The Telegraph made no mention of the fact that the current research was in rats. This was also unclear from the over-optimistic headline in the Express. However, the report in the Express was of a higher standard, as it explained that the research was in animals and that it would take a considerable amount of time before any pill could be available for patients.
What kind of research was this?
This was a laboratory experiment on animals.The researchers wanted to test the hypothesis that activation of cannabinoid 2 (CB2) receptors would reduce osteoarthritis pain responses in an animal model of osteoarthritis.
What did the research involve?
To create the animal model of osteoarthritis, rats had an injection of a chemical (monosodium acetate) into one of their knees (on the left rear limb). This triggered the same kind of inflammation and functional damage to the limb that occurs in humans with osteoarthritis.The rats were then either given a drug called JWH133 or a placebo (“dummy”) injection. JWH133 binds with and activates the CB2 receptor of cells, causing them to respond. Eight rats were injected with JWH133 and eight were injected with placebo.
Pain behaviour was determined by measuring the change in weight distribution between the limbs and by testing the rats' sensitivity to pinch and touch.
Further experiments were performed on the animal model of osteoarthritis and normal rats that had been given an injection of saline (salty water) into their knee to see how JWH133 could reduce pain.
What were the basic results?
Once the rats had the injection of monosodium acetate into the knee of their left rear limb to model osteoarthritis, they placed less weight on that limb and their paw was more sensitive to pinch and touch.Repeated injections with JWH133 significantly reduced the development of pain behaviour in the osteoarthritis model rats compared to the placebo injection.
The researchers went on to perform a series of further experiments. They found that:
- treatment with JWH133 reduced the changes in inflammation-controlling chemicals which are released by osteoarthritis model rats
- treatment with JWH133 reduced the firing of nerve cells in the spine in response to pain in osteoarthritis model rats, but not normal rats
- osteoarthritis model rats have higher levels of the CB2 receptor “message” (mRNA) and protein in nerve cells in the spine
How did the researchers interpret the results?
The researchers conclude that “activation of CB2 receptors attenuated [reduced] the development and maintenance of osteoarthritis-induced pain behaviour”. They go on to state that their “clinical and pre-clinical data support the further investigation of the potential of CB2 receptor agonists [chemicals that bind to the receptor and activate it] for the treatment of pain associated with osteoarthritis, in particular at earlier stages of the disease”.Conclusion
This study found that a chemical called JWH133, which binds to and activates the cannabinoid 2 (CB2) receptor, could reduce osteoarthritis-induced pain behaviour in rats injected with a chemical to mimic the effects of osteoarthritis.This early stage research supports the further investigation of the potential of chemicals which bind to activate the CB2 receptor as treatments for osteoarthritis-induced pain. However, so far the treatment has only been tested in a small number of rats injected with a chemical to mimic symptoms of osteoarthritis. This study does not show what positive or negative effect chemicals that activate the CB2 receptor may have in humans suffering from osteoarthritis.
Until further trials involving humans, such as a phase I trial are carried out, it is impossible to predict whether JWH133 will be effective, and probably more importantly, safe in humans.
If you are having problems coping with your arthritis symptoms, the NHS offers specialist services for people with chronic pain conditions.
Read more about NHS Services for people with chronic pain.
Analysis by Bazian. Edited by NHS Choices. Follow Behind the Headlines on Twitter.
Links to the headlines
Synthetic cannabis created for osteoarthritis. The Daily Telegraph, January 7 2014‘Synthetic cannabis’ pill could end arthritis pain for millions. Daily Express, January 7 2014
Links to the science
Burston JJ, Sagar DR, Shao P, Bai M, King E, et al. Cannabinoid CB2 Receptors Regulate Central Sensitization and Pain Responses Associated with Osteoarthritis of the Knee Joint. PLoS ONE. Published online November 25 2013http://www.nhs.uk/news/2014/01January/Pages/Could-cannabis-compound-soothe-arthritis-pain.aspx
Medical Marijuana for Arthritis Treatment and Arthritis Pain
Medical marijuana contains powerful anti-inflammatory compounds as well as natural analgesics, providing a one-two punch that makes medicinal marijuana an excellent part of an arthritis treatment plan. Medical marijuana can relieve joint pain while at the same time reducing the inflammation that precipitated that pain. Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and even juvenile arthritis may be treated with the help of cannabinoids naturally occurring in marijuana.Medical Marijuana is an Effective Treatment for Arthritis Pain and Inflammation
27 million Americans have osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis. This condition, also known as degenerative joint disease, causes breakdown of joint cartilage resulting in pain and inflammation where bare joints rub together. A further 1.3 million Americans are living with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition that causes severe pain. In addition, 300,000 children in America have juvenile arthritis. While most doctors do not recommend use of medical marijuana for young children, adults and older teens can treat their arthritis with medicinal marijuana.In a 2005 study, THC and cannabidiol were found to produce notable improvements in pain, quality of sleep, and to reduce disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Both these compounds are among the cannabinoids naturally occurring in medical marijuana. In 2000, researchers found that cannabidiol "effectively blocked progression of arthritis" in animal trials.
Although both these studies involve cannabinoids administered as drugs isolated from marijuana, medicinal use of cannabis by smoking, vaporizing, or eating, may be a better delivery method for the same potent analgesics and anti-inflammatories. When smoked, medical marijuana enters the smoker's blood stream immediately and is distributed evenly. In addition, smoking medical marijuana provides the body with all the cannabinoids present in marijuana, not one or two isolated components. Thirdly, in some states patients can legally cultivate marijuana plants, but the average patient cannot extract cannabinoids from marijuana, meaning patients who choose drugs that isolate particular cannabinoids must remain dependent on the pharmaceutical industry for their medicine.
Choosing Medical Marijuana to Treat Your Arthritis and Pain
Before trying medical marijuana for your arthritis treatment, make sure medical marijuana is legalin your state, city, and county. If medicinal marijuana remains illegal in your area, consider getting involved in local efforts to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes. If it is legal, talk to your doctor about writing a recommendation for medical marijuana. Some doctors have limited experience with medical marijuana and may recommend you see a medical marijuana specialist.Once you have a recommendation in hand, you will need to acquire your medicine. You'll need to either hire a medical marijuana caregiver or locate a medical marijuana dispensary in your area. Both options are not available in all areas, even where medical marijuana is legal. You may not have the option to use a dispensary or your medical marijuana caregiver may be forced to serve only a limited number of patients. Again, know your laws!
The homoeopath chooses the best available remedy only after careful observation of each and every symptom. Both physical as well as psychological symptoms are taken into consideration. The symptoms are treated in such a way, what causes arthritis
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