For thousands of years, cannabis has been used in medicine as analgesic, and today, while more and more jurisdictions continue to legalize the medicinal use of the largely prohibited plant, pain remains the most current of its use.
It is therefore not surprising that the interest in the potential of medical cannabis as treatment of osteoarthritis has increased in recent years. Since arthritis and osteoarthritis are inflammatory diseases associated with pain, discomfort and less quality of life, many think that medical cannabis can be useful therapy for people living with the disease. But are there any evidence of this?
What is arthritis and osteoarthritis?
Arthritis is a common inflammatory condition affecting joints that cause pain and discomfort. It can also affect other areas of life, including mobility, the ability to perform daily tasks and the quality of global life. Different forms of arthritis - including the most common types: it is estimated that rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis affect more than 10 million people in France. Consequently, identifying effective processing options is an important area to consider.
No remedy has yet been found for arthritis / osteoarthritis, and current treatment methods aim to control symptoms and slow the progression of the disease.
A number of processing options are currently used, in particular Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and pain relievers based onopioids.
However, although these therapies can be effective in the short term, the evidence suggests that their efficiency decreases over time, not to mention the significant risk of dependence and overdose associated with opioids.
The unfavorable advantages-risk profile of many options for processing arthritis and osteoarthritis has led many people to seek alternative therapies, including cannabis.
Medical cannabis to treat osteoarthritis?
An increasing number of evidence suggest that cannabis and its derivatives can be useful for relieving pain and inflammation, in addition to improving the quality of life.
The two most common cannabinoids - CBD and THC - have been the subject of recent studies aimed at assessing these potential advantages. Although high -quality clinical evidence remains limited (thanks to prohibition decades), several studies have shown that medical cannabis can be beneficial for painful states, including arthritis.
And it's not just a theoretical link: A 2019 study Cor on more than 1,000 patients with arthritis revealed that 37 % of them had tried cannabis to manage arthritis and 57 % had tried CBD products. In addition, 97 % of those who said they tried cannabis said it improved their symptoms; 93 % of CBD users also reported an improvement in arthritis symptoms. But are these results confirmed by other clinical and real studies?
other evidence on the effectiveness of cannabis for osteoarthritis
In recent years, several studies have focused on the potential of medical cannabis as a treatment for arthritis. Many of them evaluated the self -declared effects of various preparations of medical cannabis. For example, researchers from a 2022 study have developed a new anonymous questionnaire that has been administered to a sample of arthritic patients. Participants were recruited via various channels, including social media and newsletters.
After analyzing the participants' responses, it was found that the respondents associated the use of CBD to pain improvements (83 %), physical function (66 %) and sleep quality (66 %).
In addition, the majority of participants also said they had reduced or stopped completely the use of others drugs, including Anti-inflammatory drugs, THE opioids And the acetaminophen, after starting to use the CBD.
Various other studies have shown that medical cannabis can be useful for improving pain and quality of life - two major causes in arthritic patients. For example, a 2016 study revealed that the consumption of CAnnabis medical was associated with a reduction in pain. Improve functional results and reduce the consumption of opioids.
MEDICAL cannabis, how does it work?
Cannabinoids such as CBD and THC - and a number of other compounds produced by the cannabis plant - are known to interact with the Endocannabinoid system human (dry). This receiver system plays an important role in a number of significant physiological and cognitive functions, including pain and inflammation signaling. Therefore, dry is considered a potentially effective target for new therapies to treat pain.
Video on the role of the Encannabinoide System on the body:
SEC also plays a role in mood regulation, which means that it can be an effective target in dealing with conditions such as anxiety and depression. This explains why more and more people are trying CBD products as an alternative means of managing stress.
In clinical areas, this potential anti-anxiety property can help improve the quality of life of patients with a wide range of conditions.
Obtain a prescription from medical cannabis for arthritis PU osteoarthritis in France?
Although cannabis was registered in 2021 in an experimentation program, a recent study revealed that millions of people in France still use recreational cannabis products obtained on the black market for self -medication.
This situation is largely due to persistent obstacles to the treatment of medical cannabis in France. Since cannabis was authorized as part of an experiment, the ANSM has so far approved only three prescriptions of medical cannabis.
For more information on how to access a medical cannabis prescription, see:
How to obtain a prescription from medical cannabis in France
