Inflammatory diseases for which CBD is an effective treatment

A group of diseases that include damage to the joints of the body.

Arthritis is considered to be the leading cause of disability in an older population but also attacks young people, children, and new-born babies. Diseases that cause arthritis can be autoimmune diseases, diseases due to the accumulation of synovial fluids of crystals formed in the joints, and various infectious diseases including infectious arthritis. Osteoarthritis can develop due to physical trauma to joint or genetic causes, multiple joint use, or old age. About 200 diseases can cause arthritis in various forms.

The most common appearances of arthritis are:

• Osteoarthritis (OA) occurs in about 50% of the population over the age of 60

• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) occurs in about 1% of the population, erupting at younger ages.

• Hardening of vertebral as a result of inflammation (Ankylosing Spondylitis – AS)

• Spondyloarthropathy Arthritis (SpA) such as psoriatic arthritis.

Osteoarthritis [OA]

A degenerative disease that causes the erosion of cartilage in the joints. The clinical diagnosis of osteoarthritis consists of a mechanism of neuropathic pain. Today, the disease does not have a cure or treatment that can stop or delay its progression.

CBD as a treatment of Osteoarthritis

In rat OA-induced models, it has been found that the endocannabinoid system is involved in the pathophysiology of the disease and therefore there is a reasonable basis that the treatment of osteoarthritis with the help of cannabinoids and especially CBD, can lead to suppression of inflammation and reduced pain.

Read more: Attenuation of early phase inflammation by cannabidiol prevents pain and nerve damage in rat osteoarthritis Involvement of the endocannabinoid system in osteoarthritis pain

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

A chronic multi-systemic autoimmune disease, which occurs when the immune system attacks and damages the body’s tissues, especially collagen type 2 in the cartilage of joints, causing their gradual destruction and the formation of deformities. The disease is characterized by multi-joint, peripheral and symmetrical inflammation, often combined with systemic injury outside the joints. It is a very common disease that causes daily pain, limiting activity and causing great general distress. When the disease worsens it can finally destroy the cartilage between the joints and even destroy the bone itself. RA has hereditary genetic factors that increase the risk of contracting the disease.

The most common symptoms associated with the disease are chronic joint & bone pain along with acute flare-ups in response to unknown causes, stiffness of the joints, movement restriction, redness, and swelling. Sometimes, sufferers of the disease feel constant fatigue and lack of appetite. The medications given for arthritis do not encourage those who suffer from the disease to use them because the list of side effects is very long and includes an increase in blood pressure, an increase in blood sugar levels, oedema, nausea, hair loss, vascular and heart system disorders, difficulty breathing and much more.

CBD as a treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Studies conducted between 2011 and 2017 showed that CBD has many benefits when it comes to treating the pain associated with RA. In an animal model for RA, cannabidiol was found to suppress the release of the cytokine tumour necrosis factor Alpha (TNFα) from activated macrophages which is involved in increasing inflammation in the joints. In addition to the properties of CBD as an anti-inflammatory compound, cannabidiol also affects the incidence associated with arthritis such as vascular damage, nausea, insomnia, neural pain, and more.

More information about CBD and arthritis:

• Transdermal cannabidiol reduces inflammation and pain-related behaviours in a rat model of arthritis

• Study of cannabinoid receptor 2 Q63R gene polymorphism in Lebanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis

• Protection Against Septic Shock and Suppression of Tumor Necrosis Factor a and Nitric Oxide Production by Dexanabinol (HU-211), a Nonpsychotropic Cannabinoid

Gout

Clinical, podagra, or chronic arthritis resulting from metabolic disruption in the body manifests itself in an increase of uric acid levels in the blood, a condition called hyperuricemia. The damage to the patient is caused when over the years this acid accumulates in the joints, where it forms arthritis, or kidneys, where it forms stones.

CBD as a treatment of Gout

The action of CBD in delaying the breakdown of the endocannabinoid 2-AG allows it to bind to the peripheral endocannabinoid receptor CB2 and thus calms the body’s inflammatory response.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

These are diseases caused by inflammatory damage to the intestinal walls that lead to chronic bowel disease and sometimes other organs involved in the disease. The two main diseases under the definition of inflammatory bowel diseases are Crohn’s disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). When it comes to chronic gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, CBD is effective against many GI inflammatory symptoms.

CBD & Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

CBD increases the production of suppressor T cells and their role in suppressing inflammation, as a mechanism for suppressing the excessive inflammatory response. In addition, CBD inhibits the recruitment of macrophages to the inflammatory area in the intestines and consequently suppresses the release of TNFα that triggers inflammation.

Inflammatory skin diseases

Many people face inflammatory skin diseases. These diseases disrupt the aesthetic appearance, and often also causes suffering and feeling of discomfort in the skin. The exact causes of these diseases are unclear, but what they all have in common is that they are chronic, are related to poor immune system response, and are accompanied by an inflammatory state of the skin accompanied by chronic pain.

CBD as a Treatment of Inflammatory skin diseases

A 2009 study first showed the presence of an Endocannabinoid system (ECS) in the skin that includes anandamide and 2-AG Lipid Mediators and their cannabinoid receptors [CB1 & CB2], the enzymes that produce them, and the enzymes that break them down FAAH and MAGL respectively. Many studies also revealed that the ECS is involved in many control processes both in the healthy state and in various skin diseases.

Inflammatory Muscle Diseases

Inflammatory muscle diseases belong to a group of connective tissue diseases of an autoimmune nature. These are diseases that damage the muscle and cause inflammation and necrosis. Muscles are usually symmetrically involved when the carbine muscles, those near the spine and the origin of the extremities, are the main casualties. The causes of the appearance of muscular inflammation are not clear enough. It is a disease in which there is a disruption in the muscle immune mechanism that manifests itself in the inflammatory incidence of lymphatic cells inside the muscle fibres as well as the secretion of inflammatory substances.

CBD for the treatment of Inflammatory Muscle Diseases

CBD suppresses the increased release of cytokines, monokines & interleukins, and in some laboratory models, has been found to increase the production of T-regulatory cells whose function is to suppress inflammation, as a mechanism for suppressing the excess inflammatory response. CBD is an excellent antioxidant capable of eliminating and preventing the accumulation of toxic waste in the body, and it also helps those suffering from inflammatory muscle diseases.

Asthma & Pneumonia

An important example of inflammatory disease is asthma that is manifested in seizures and the construction of the respiratory vessels. Due to the complications of asthma disease, respiratory infections are formed.

CBD for the treatment of symptoms associated with Asthma & Pneumonia

CBD has been found to have medicinal potential to calm the inflammatory response in asthma. Besides suppressing inflammation, CBD inhibits mucus production thus reducing airway obstruction and preventing the worsening of asthma in humans. IL-13 is the cytokine that causes increased mucus production in the airways. A recent study found that CBD lowers levels of this cytokine in the airways, protecting the lung tissue from infections, and thus treats and assists in respiratory diseases and asthma. T cells also support and help, penetrating the respiratory system and producing cytokines in response to asthmatic stimulation. CBD suppresses the excitatory T-cell reaction and thus inhibits the release of destructive cytokines. A 1999 study (Waksman, Y. et al) found for the first time that cytokine tumour necrosis factor – TNF-alpha plays an important role in creating inflammation by LPS-activated macrophages. TNF-alpha increases the severity of asthma. By lowering the level of the cytokine TNF-alpha, CBD helps calm lung inflammation.

Protection against septic shock and suppression of tumour necrosis factor alpha and nitric oxide production by dexanabinol (HU-211), a nonpsychotropic cannabinoid, R Gallily 1, A Yamin, Y Waksmann, H Ovadia, J Weidenfeld, A Bar-Joseph, A Biegon, R Mechoulam, E Shohami

Sarcoidosis

A non-infectious multi-systemic disease whose cause is unknown, involving mainly the lungs, skin, and lymph nodes. Up to a third of patients can be asymptomatic and the disease will not be detected. General symptoms include fatigue, sometimes even severe, as well as fever, night sweats, and weight loss. General complaints related to the disease include coughing and shortness of breath, tremors, and migraines. The following symptoms are related to skin disorders: temporary blindness, wounds such as a burn, or an allergic reaction on the surface of the skin. It is a disease considered incurable and current drug treatments are known to have serious side effects.

CBD for the treatment of Sarcoidosis

Studies of people with the disease have not yet been conducted, but dozens of success stories can be found throughout the internet of patients who have independently tried CBD to treat the disease and report its disappearance gradually but consistently and stably, thanks to the CBD’s strong anti-inflammatory action along with its analgesic activity. According to personal reports, the tremors and breathing difficulties weaken, sleep returns to balance, the skin is calmer and the headaches disappear almost completely as a result of CBD treatment. It is important to note that since patients with the disease develop a great sensitivity in the lungs, it is advisable to avoid consuming CBD in vapours and smoking but to use oil or capsules, in order not to irritate the sensitive lungs. Sarcoidosis is also accompanied by sarcoid arthritis – even, in this case, many patients who are experiencing CBD treatment report a marked improvement in the symptoms of the disease.

Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF)

It is an inherited genetic disease that affects mainly Jews of North Africa, Iraq, and countries around the Mediterranean basin. The main manifestation of the disease is bursts of fever and pain. The main affected areas are the abdomen, chest, and joints. The cause of the heat sensation and pain is the appearance of inflammation in the painful areas. It is a sterile inflammation, without bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens, and is due to the body’s aggressive response to any stimulus at the attacked site. The essence of the stimulus that causes the seizure has not been solved to this day. The local reaction is manifested in the rapid accumulation of white blood cells (leukocytes, especially neutrophils), which exude the intermediaries of inflammation and enzymes, which cause great pain, local effects of inflammation, and fever. There are no studies yet on the effect of CBD on familial Mediterranean fever but there is quite a bit of evidence of people suffering from the disease that report that they are better off thanks to CBD treatment. The activity of CBD in calming inflammation will benefit patients with the disease, decrease the dose of the Colchicine drug and improve the quality of life. Colchicine is toxic in high doses and causes severe side effects after prolonged use.

CBD and its efficacy as a natural supplement for the treatment of inflammation

The effectiveness of cannabidiol in the treatment of inflammation is an extensive field of research and is undoubtedly still in its beginning. At the same time, the findings of recent studies point to promising directions. It is important to remember that treating chronic infections requires continuity and consistency. The use of CBD also requires attention to dosage and its effect on the various body systems. In case of chronic infections, it is recommended to share with the attending physician the decision to start CBD treatment. The efficiency of the treatment of CBD in inflammation is an individual matter and varies according to several factors such as:

• Inflammation intensity

• Age of the patient

• Bodyweight

• Other parallel diseases

It is highly recommended, at the onset of the use of CBD, to monitor the relief of the various infections, and if no change has yet been felt, gradually increase the dose.