CBD and Arthritis in Seniors - What You Need to Know
CBD and the Symptoms of Arthritis in Seniors
What is CBD and is it legal?
CBD stands for cannabidiol, which is a type of chemical compound called a cannabinoid found in the hemp plant. Hemp may also be referred to as cannabis, as that is the scientific name for the plant. Hemp differs from “marijuana” in that it contains very low levels of the intoxicating compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), but it does contain very high levels of the similar compound CBD that we’ll be discussing here.
Both terms are often used in reference to the plant that CBD is extracted from, so hopefully this helps to provide some clarity to the discussion.
Learn more about the cannabinoids you may find in hemp products on our Cannabinoid Education page!
Is CBD worth trying - and how do I try it?
How long do I try it for?
CBD products have only been available to consumers since the inception of the 2018 Farm Bill. Unfortunately that has limited the human medical studies that could be performed to provide solid data in regards to the benefits of CBD.
What that means is CBD companies cannot make claims about medical benefits of any CBD product - nor should they want to, as there is not yet enough evidence to back up such claims. We can only discuss what we know so far based on anecdotal evidence from consumers and the scientific studies done in labs on isolated hemp compounds.
There are a lot of potential benefits to CBD to be explored. One exciting field that warrants further study is the possibility of using CBD to relieve the inflammation caused by chronic arthritis and its other associated symptoms.
CBD has been found by some individuals to help with arthritis-related symptoms like pain and tightness in joints, insomnia caused by discomfort, and general anxiety with reduced quality of mood.
Unfortunately due to the recency of hemp & CBD’s federal legalization, there is very little data or enough quality studies available on the topic of CBD for arthritis in seniors to conclusively show its effects.
See the Arthritis Foundation’s Guidance on CBD’s potential in symptom management
“We are intrigued by the potential of CBD to help people find pain relief and are on record urging the FDA to expedite the study and regulation of these products. While currently there is limited scientific evidence about CBD’s ability to help ease arthritis symptoms, and no universal quality standards or regulations exist, we have listened to our constituents and consulted with leading experts** to develop these general recommendations for adults who are interested in trying CBD.”
With all this uncertainty & potential, you may be wondering “How do I start using CBD for senior health needs?”
The answer to whether or not CBD is worth trying for older adults is really a matter of personal choice, but it is always recommended to consult your physician prior to trying a CBD product to ensure there are no concerns of interactions with current medications - which may be possible especially at very high daily doses of CBD due to impacts on liver enzymes.
The good news is with a little research a trustworthy high quality CBD product can be found, and if interactions with medications aren’t a concern for you, there can be very little downside to giving CBD a try.
In regards to how to begin trying CBD for older adult needs, there’s really two parts to that question.
The first being “How do I find a safe CBD product I can trust?” This could really be a deeper discussion on its own, but for the sake of a simple process the following items should be prioritized when looking for a CBD product to try.
Manufactured in US
Domestic organic ingredients
Companies going above & beyond current lack of regulation
Products backed by 3rd party independent lab results for each batch made
Avoid companies making health claims about their products!
Review lab results to confirm purity & potency of your CBD
The second part is more literal.
What steps do I take to determine if a product is right for me?
Fortunately the approach is really simple:
Start small on your portion & dose
Give it ample time to notice effects
Then increase your CBD dosage incrementally until you experience optimal effects for your needs.
Dosing can vary quite a bit based on a number of physiological factors such as body weight, body fat percent, and variations in digestion. In general 2mg-5mg of CBD is typically a recommended starting point. If desired results are not achieved after 1-2 hours, incrementally increase the dose by 5mg until effects are noticeable.
It’s important to be aware that full spectrum products which contain a low level of THC and terpenes will likely be more effective at lower doses than isolated CBD products.
Terpenes are the tiny molecules controlling smell and taste of hemp & full spectrum CBD products- they also impart their own unique effects & benefits as well as tempering the experience of CBD in isolation. THC and other minor cannabinoids present in your hemp products can steer the effects in nuanced directions and may increase the medical benefits of CBD at lower doses.
Get full-spectrum, quality-assured CBD edibles delivered to your door!
Many common hemp terpenes and cannabinoids have been studied for their own anti-inflammatory and pain-mitigating effects; in fact many have been used in traditional herbal medicines for centuries to fight these common arthritis symptoms.
Try experimenting with full spectrum CBD products and see if you notice any difference in the effects & experience from isolated CBD products you might have tried.
We’ll be exploring several other potential senior & older adult uses for CBD on this blog, so be sure to check back regularly or join our email list below.
To read more about the Arthritis Foundation’s official position & recommendations on CBD use for adults with arthritis, be sure to visit https://www.arthritis.org/advocate/issue-briefs/cbd-guidance-adults-arthritis
For a visual guide on how to interpret complete purity & potency results in your CBD edibles, see our lab results page for a video tutorial from our founder!
