Arthritis medical cannabis treatment

Arthritis is a common condition that inflames the lining of joints or tendons, causing extreme pain and restricting mobility. While there is currently no cure for arthritis, physiotherapy, painkillers, and NSAIDs are usually prescribed to help manage symptoms. Recently, however, arthritis medical cannabis treatments have emerged as a popular option amongst patients in the UK, due to their efficacy in relieving pain and inflammation.

Am I eligible?

10 million

people in the UK have arthritis, around 8 million of these have osteoarthritis.

1 in 5

medical cannabis patients in the UK are using cannabis to manage arthritis

66%

of US arthritis patients said their sleep improved after trying a CBD treatment

51%

of RA patients said arthritis cannabis-based treatments improved their pain

Symptoms

Inflammation of the joints

Joint pain

Joint stiffness

Joint tenderness

Muscle wasting

Restricted movement

Warm, red skin over joints

Weakness

If you are suffering from any of these symptoms, you may be suffering from arthritis. Please speak with your GP to find out more.

Alternative Medicines

In some cases, the progression of arthritis can be slowed using certain medicines like disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), but typically patients are prescribed analgesic painkillers and anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) to help manage their symptoms, or offered physiotherapy, and sometimes even surgery.

Co-codamol

Diclofenac

Methotrexate

Naproxen

Prednisolone

Sulfasalazine

Use our eligibility tool to find out if arthritis medical cannabis treatments may be suitable for you.
Am I eligible?

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A word from our specialist

"Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease, characterized by the breakdown of cartilage and the underlying bone. Medical cannabis has shown promise as a complementary treatment for symptom control in OA. Benefits include reducing chronic pain, reducing inflammation associated with cartilage damage, reducing muscle stiffness/ spasm and aiding disrupted sleep. Patients using medical cannabis often report improvements in overall quality of life.

Inflammatory arthritis, which includes conditions like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is caused by inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues. Other parts of the body may also be affected. Symptoms include chronic joint pain, stiffness and swelling. If left untreated, destruction/damage of the joints can occur, leading to reduced function and disability. Medical cannabis shows promise as a complementary treatment for inflammatory arthritis, particularly for managing pain, inflammation and sleep. Some research suggests that cannabinoids might have immune-modulating effects, thereby benefitting conditions where the immune system plays a key role."

Dr. Hanna Gul

Research and Quality Director

Use our eligibility tool to find out if arthritis medical cannabis treatments may be suitable for you.
Am I eligible?

Articles on Arthritis

04. 08. 2023

What you should know about cannabis for arthritis

Patients battling arthritis often experience chronic pain, and when left untreated, the pain associated with the condition can prevent them from carrying out daily activities, and living a normal, healthy, fulfilling life.

16. 09. 2023

The best terpenes for arthritis pain

The two most often encountered forms of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). Both of these conditions involve the breakdown of joint tissues, leading to inflammation, pain, and stiffness. Certain terpenes are showing great promise in offering arthritis patients a range of therapeutic benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anti-catabolic (slowing the breakdown of muscle tissue), analgesic, and anti-spasmodic properties.

04. 09. 2023

Finding the optimal CBD dose for rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the joints, causing severe pain, swelling, and mobility issues. Although it can manifest in any articulated joint, it most commonly impacts knees, hands, feet, and wrists.

How does medical cannabis affect arthritis?

When ingested, the chemical compounds in cannabis interact with receptors in our bodies to modify or alter the signals and messages being sent, in an attempt to restore homeostasis.

When used to manage the symptoms of arthritis, cannabis’ psychoactive component, THC, can bind to receptors in the brain and alleviate the perception of pain, whilst its counterpart chemical, CBD, is able to regulate inflammatory responses to reduce swelling, and may slow the progressive cartilage breakdown associated with the condition.

Although research in this field is still ongoing and is still in the infancy stages, medical cannabis arthritis treatments have received very positive feedback from patients with notable benefits including improved sleep, reduction in pain and inflammation, and an improved quality of life. 

Our specialist doctors can legally prescribe cannabis-based treatments to UK-based patients who have been struggling to manage their arthritis symptoms with conventional medicines, and are here to support patients through their journey with medical cannabis. To find out if this course of treatment could be suitable for you, fill out our free online eligibility checker today. 

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