Bursitis, dislocations, and arthritis are common joint-related problems that are hindering many people across the globe from functioning throughout the day. All of which involve inflammation by the joints that may cause pain, swelling and limited range of motion. Amongst older people, arthritis is the most common joint-related condition impacting millions of people with around 60% of those being women. Although arthritis can plague any individual at any age.
Joint Problems Explained
Bursitis: inflammation of the fluid-filled sac that cushions the joint. This can be painful and involves swelling and discomfort.
Dislocations: an injury that caused the ends of the bones to go out of position. It can also cause pain, swelling, and discomfort.
Arthritis: inflammation of a joint. It causes pain, stiffness, and swelling while severely damaging the joint over time. High levels of stress and depression are often associated with arthritis as its’ the most common cause of disability and inability to work.
While bursitis and dislocations can be treated through rehabilitation and medication, arthritis may require joint replacement surgery to remove the damaged joint. There is currently pharmaceutical medication available to assist with the pain, swelling, and inflammation of the joint-related conditions. Cannabis is proving more and more valuable and healing for many ailments. So, let’s explore what cannabis consumption can do, specifically for arthritis but for other joint-related conditions as well.
There are many types of arthritis including but not limited to inflammatory arthritis, degenerative arthritis, soft tissue musculoskeletal pain, back pain, connective tissue disease, infectious arthritis, and metabolic arthritis.
How Cannabis Can Help
How can cannabis help those suffering from arthritis (and anything else joint-related such as pain, inflammation, and swelling)?
One of the biggest ways that cannabis can help individuals suffering from arthritis is through its’ anti-inflammatory effects, which in turn leave the patients living happier and healthier lives.
Arthritis patients often use opiate-based medication to assist them with pain and swelling. These medications have potentially dangerous side effects as well as the potential of addiction. Using cannabis in place of such medications can help alleviate the swelling and pain without the looming shadow of adverse effects and addiction.
A controlled study by the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Disease in the UK released results that displayed the cannabinoids providing significant improvements in pain influencing movement, in pain influencing rest as well as the quality of sleep for these patients.
Many professionals in the field are of the opinion that cannabis is a much more effective and safer long-term solution rather than opioids. Opioids have killed more people than all the illegal drugs combined due to an epidemic of drug abuse.
Tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol are currently the two most common cannabinoids which are also responsible for fighting pain and inflammation. There are many more cannabinoids that are yet to be discovered. With inflammation causing the biggest problems in those suffering through arthritis, having a long-term and safe treatment will afford patients better lives, free of depression and reduced levels of stress.
The way that cannabis alleviates the pain and inflammation is through the cannabinoid receptors in our bodies that transmit the pain signals to the brain. Our whole body is filled with cannabinoid receptors in our endocannabinoid system. The cannabinoids from the plant bind with those bringing relief and improvement.
Patients can consume cannabis to help their arthritis through smoking, eating and using it as a topical cream. The full extent of cannabis’ influence on patients with arthritis is yet to be established through more extensive research, one thing is for sure…the anti-inflammation properties and safety are yet to be bested.
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