10 Best CBD Oil for Arthritis & Joint Pain – 2023 CBD Reviews

Many arthritis sufferers use CBD as an alternative remedy for easing joint pain. We’ve put together a list of the best CBD oil for arthritis and a guide to help you get the most out of CBD.

Arthritis is a common condition characterized by joint pain and inflammation. The United States witnessed a significant increase in the prevalence of arthritis in recent years. Standard treatments typically focus on pain relief but aren’t always effective and can cause notable side effects.

As a result, more and more people are opting for safe, natural options such as CBD oil. Still, with so many products available and a lack of regulation, finding a high-quality CBD product can be difficult. 

That’s why we researched and compared numerous leading brands to find the best CBD oil for arthritis as well as the best CBD cream.

Here’s our list of the top 10 CBD oils and creams for this debilitating condition, based on the formula, potency, hemp source, third-party testing, pricing, and other factors.

10 Best CBD Oil for Arthritis Reviews (& Cream)  

CBD For Arthritis & Joint Pain

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-intoxicating cannabis compound that’s shown some promise in relieving the symptoms of arthritis.

Similar to its cousin tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD seems to have both analgesic (pain-relieving) and anti-inflammatory^[4] properties that can reduce joint pain. 

Better yet, there are multiple animal studies and early human trials backing CBD’s anti-arthritic effects, as well as evidence that it might help with the underlying causes of inflammatory arthritis. 

Types of Arthritis

Arthritis refers to joint pain or any type of joint disease^[5]. There are many different types of arthritis but the two most common kinds are inflammatory and non-inflammatory^[6].

Non-inflammatory arthritis, also known as osteoarthritis, is the most common kind. It’s caused by the breakdown of cartilage, the protective bone padding found at the joints. 

As the name implies, inflammatory arthritis involves some sort of inflammation. The most common example is rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition where your immune system mistakenly attacks its own joint tissue.

Gout is another type of inflammatory arthritis, caused by uric acid building up in the joints. Other examples include juvenile arthritis, reactive arthritis, infectious arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis.

How CBD Works on Arthritis Pain

CBD can relieve arthritis pain by interacting with your body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). 

Charged with maintaining a delicate state of balance called homeostasis, the ECS regulates essential processes, including pain, inflammation, immune function, and pain.

The ECS consists of endocannabinoids made in your body, the cannabinoid receptors they activate, and special enzymes. CBD can interact with the ECS by blocking the effects^[7] of an enzyme that breaks down your endocannabinoids, supporting their beneficial effects.

Additionally, animal studies have shown that CBD may affect other systems involved in controlling pain and inflammation, such as TRPV^[8], PPARγ^[9], and adenosine^[10] receptors, and the (NF)-κB^[11] pathway.

Benefits of CBD for Arthritis Patients

There’s reason to be excited about CBD because it can help with arthritis on multiple fronts. 

To begin with, CBD can improve not only chronic pain but other symptoms associated with arthritis, such as difficulty sleeping and a low mood. 

Better yet, CBD may be able to address the underlying inflammation involved in inflammatory types of arthritis. 

Here are some of the key research findings:

• A study of a synthetic transdermal CBD gel^[12] in people with knee osteoarthritis found that some participants experienced a significant reduction in pain with men benefitting more than women.
• A study of Sativex (a drug containing a 1:1 ratio of THC to CBD) in rheumatoid arthritis sufferers found that it improved joint pain and sleep^[13]
• A case report^[14] reported that a 50-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis and two other autoimmune disorders improved her pain, mobility, mood, and inflammation by using CBD oil
• Studies in mice have shown that CBD can reduce pain and nerve damage in osteoarthritis^[15] and pain and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis^[16]

Is Cannabidiol safe? Side Effects and Safety

Although CBD can cause some side effects, it’s considered a well-tolerated compound with a good safety profile^[17].

The possible side effects of CBD^[18] reported in research include:

• Tiredness and drowsiness
• Diarrhea and nausea
• Dry mouth
• Low blood pressure
• Lightheadedness
• Changes in appetite or weight

However, researchers note that most of these effects were minor and only occurred when taking pure CBD in high doses, such as 300 mg or higher.

Since most people use much smaller amounts and often go with whole-plant products containing many other active compounds, your chances of experiencing side effects from CBD are small.

Topical CBD products are even less likely to produce side effects because it’s difficult for CBD to absorb deep enough into the skin to reach your blood vessels.

How Do I Use CBD To Manage Arthritis Pain?

There are multiple ways to use CBD for arthritis pain. 

Roughly speaking, you can take CBD internally, which will produce body-wide effects, or use it externally, which will only work in the area where it’s applied and is best suited for arthritis pain.

You’ll also need to figure out the right CBD dosage for yourself.

Using CBD Internally (CBD Oil, Capsules, Edibles, and Vaping)

The most common method of using CBD is sublingual — putting drops of CBD oil under your tongue. This method bypasses the digestive tract by avoiding stomach acid and liver degradation, which greatly enhances the blood levels and the effectiveness of CBD. 

It also produces systemic effects, which is especially important for rheumatoid and other inflammatory types of arthritis. If you could only choose one product for arthritis, we’d definitely recommend CBD oil.

You can also use CBD capsules, edibles, and other oral products, but they’re not as effective as the sublingual route because they have low oral bioavailability^[19], which means that only a small percentage of the CBD you take in this form reaches the blood.

Another option is to vape CBD, which will produce instant effects and has similar or better^[20] absorption than CBD oil. However, it also wears off much faster. And vaping has other potential risks to lung tissue.

Using CBD Externally (Creams and Other Topical Products)

The second major option for arthritis is to apply CBD directly to the skin around the affected joints in the form of creams and other topical products. 

This is arguably the best choice if you’re primarily looking for pain relief because it will work only where you applied it.

In any case, it may be ideal to use both external and internal routes together, such as CBD oil and a CBD-infused cream. 

CBD Dosage for Arthritis

There isn’t one dosage of CBD that will work in all cases. We’re all different and the right amount of CBD to take will depend on how much you weigh, your unique genetics, the severity of your arthritis, and the kind of CBD product you’re taking.

Consequently, the best approach to figuring out your CBD dosage is to “start low and go slow”^[21] as suggested by health experts. That means taking a small dose (10-15 mg), seeing how you feel over the next few hours, and gradually increasing the dose over time.

Do this until you start experiencing relief and stick to that amount.

Frequently Asked Questions

---