Arthritis

Arthritis is not a condition reserved for people over sixty-five. Teenagers, young adults and children are diagnosed with it too, and the assumption that it is simply part of getting older keeps many patients from seeking treatment that would help them.

What Arthritis Is

Arthritis is a chronic condition that can affect almost any part of the body, though it settles most often in the joints of the hips, knees, wrists, fingers, feet and spine. It may persist continuously or come and go over weeks or months. There are more than a hundred distinct forms, and while none of them has a cure, symptoms can be controlled and quality of life significantly improved.

Recognising the Symptoms

Arthritis is pain or inflammation in the joints that usually develops gradually, though it can appear suddenly after an accident or injury.

In osteoarthritis, the most common form, wear and tear causes the cartilage covering the ends of the bones at each joint to break down. In rheumatoid arthritis the immune system attacks the tissue surrounding the joints, and researchers have not yet established why.

The most common symptoms are fatigue, joint tenderness and stiffness that is worst in the morning, and redness around the joint.

What patients tend to describe first, though, is not the pain but the loss. Bending to pick something up, managing a few stairs, walking the dog, opening a jar: tasks that required no thought become difficult, and the frustration of that is a real part of the condition. It does not have to remain that way.

How Cannabinoids Help

Medical cannabis is well established as a treatment for both pain and inflammation, and in arthritis the mechanism is specific. Cannabinoids act on the CB2 receptor, which plays a central role in joint inflammation. Activating that receptor causes inflammatory signalling to subside.

For patients who have worked through a series of medications that do little beyond causing constant drowsiness, a treatment that addresses inflammation directly is worth investigating.

Arthritis and Sleep

Joint pain that keeps you awake makes the following day considerably worse, and exhaustion lowers pain tolerance, which makes the next night worse again. Breaking that cycle is often the single most valuable thing treatment achieves.

Alongside reducing inflammation and swelling, cannabinoid therapy eases chronic pain and relaxes both body and mind. Oil taken under the tongue takes longer to come on than inhaled preparations, but the effect typically lasts seven to eight hours, which is well matched to a full night's sleep.

Your Treatment Plan at Cura Vida

Dosing varies from patient to patient and we will help you establish yours. Arthritis patients receive a comprehensive assessment and a cannabinoid plan coordinated with their rheumatologist where one is involved. Medical cannabis treatment should always be supervised by a qualified physician.