Did you know that approximately 54 million adults and 300,000 children in the U.S. suffer from arthritis or some other form of rheumatoid disease?
When you think about all of the people who live with arthritis but haven’t been diagnosed yet, the true count is likely closer to 90 million in total. By the end of the year 2040, the prevalence of arthritis is estimated to grow by 49 percent.
This debilitating condition, which involves painful flare-ups in joints, can stop you from performing everyday tasks — even the simplest ones.
Living with arthritis is a pain both metaphorically and literally.
Some medications and treatment programs can potentially help reduce these negative symptoms, but they also have their own side effects, such as addiction, risk of organ failure, or fatal overdose.
That’s why many people turn to natural products like CBD oil for relief.
In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about using CBD oil for arthritis.
We’ll also cover:
- A comparison of animal and human research on CBD products and arthritis
- Where to look for CBD oil
- The features of high-quality CBD oil
- The list of the most trusted CBD brands according to our research and user reviews
Let’s begin without further ado!
Top 5 CBD Oils for Arthritis: The Most Effective Products in 2022
If you’ve ever tried to find CBD oil for your arthritis symptoms, we guess you’ve given up after scrolling the first two Google result pages.
The abundance of different brands and products can be overwhelming. There are many factors to consider when searching for a trusted supplier. If you don’t have the time to do your own research, continue to the section below for our product recommendations. We’ve tested dozens of brands available on the U.S. market, thinning down the ranking to the top 5 manufacturers that make real premium CBD oil.
1. Royal CBD (Best CBD Oil for Arthritis)
| Potency | 250 mg – 2500 mg |
| Available Flavors | Natural, Berry, Mint, Vanilla |
| CBD per serving | 8.3 mg – 83.3 mg |
Why Royal CBD is the Best CBD Oil for Chronic Pain
Royal CBD is a premium brand selling full-spectrum CBD products from organic hemp. This means that you’ll be able to benefit from the synergy achieved by all cannabinoids and other beneficial compounds from hemp. The guys at Royal CBD source their hemp from farms in Colorado and California, which are known for some of the best conditions for growing these plants.
With MCT oil as its carrier, it also offers additional benefits, such as essential fatty acids, zinc, and magnesium — supporting the health of your heart and brain.
The Royal CBD oil is available in 4 potency options, including 250 mg, 500 mg, 1000 mg, and 2500 mg. You can choose from the natural, berry, mint, or vanilla flavors, which we recommend if you don’t like the taste of natural CBD oil.
Now, considering the effects this product had on my back pain and wrists after working out, this is a really small price to pay. I’ve been extremely satisfied with the results because the oil also helped relieve my anxiety, which I experienced in the morning.
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2. Gold Bee
Product Details
| Potency | 300 – 1200 mg |
| Available Flavors | Natural, Honey |
| CBD per serving | 8.3 mg – 33.3 mg |
About Gold Bee
I’ve recently stumbled upon this California-based brand and intuitively picked two products from their collection: the gummies and a bottle of the 1200 mg CBD oil. I like the fact that Gold Bee uses locally grown hemp. They have partnered with farmers from California and Colorado to create a unique blend of CBD-rich strains. These plants are grown without pesticides, herbicides, or growth boosters, resulting in clean and potent extracts.
Needless to say, I ordered the honey flavor. I was first a bit skeptical about having to take bitterly-tasting oil infused with a sweet honey flavor, but thanks to the infusion with MCT oil, this product tastes like a greasy version of honey. About the effects, I felt similar relief from pain to Royal CBD but I also noticed I had to use more than one dropper daily, which was cost-prohibitive for me.
But if you benefit from lower dosages, Gold Bee has just the perfect potency range for you. All of their products are full-spectrum CBD and tested in third-party laboratories for potency and purity.
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3. CBDPure
Product Details
| Potency | 100 – 1000 mg |
| Available Flavors | None |
| CBD per serving | 3.3 – 33 mg/mL |
About CBDPure
Despite its modest product range and lower potency than the competition, CBDPure is still one of the leading brands in the industry. Wondering why? I “blame” it on the quality.
You see, people with arthritis don’t react to CBD products the same way as those who use it for general supplementation. You need to do some trial and error before you find the right dose to manage your pain and inflammation effectively (more on that later in the article). This potency range allows you to precisely gauge the dosage with little space for errors.
These are full-spectrum extracts, so you’re getting the benefit of the entourage effect from cannabinoids, terpenes, and other phytonutrients from hemp. They’re also made with CO2 extraction, which is considered the best way to extract plant materials.
CBDPure’s CBD oil has a golden yellow color, meaning the CBD was well decarboxylated and filtered before being contained in bottles.
The company also offers a 90-day return policy for customers who are not satisfied with its products. You can return your order for a full refund within that period.
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4. Hemp Bombs
Product Details
| Potency | 125 – 4000 mg |
| Available Flavors | Natural, Acai Berry, Orange Creamsicle, Peppermint, Watermelon |
| CBD per serving | 4 – 133 mg/mL |
About Hemp Bombs
Some people with arthritis can’t take full-spectrum products, mainly due to drug testing at work, so they choose CBD isolate as their go-to product. If you’re looking for the best isolate-based CBD oil for your arthritis symptoms, Hemp Bombs has it all.
Aside from an impressive potency range — from 125 mg to 4000 mg of total CBD — these oils are formulated with 99% pure CBD that is extracted from organic hemp plants. You can choose from delicious flavors such as Acai Berry, Orange Creamsicle, Peppermint, and Watermelon.
However, you need to be aware that products made from CBD isolate don’t offer the synergy from other cannabinoids and terpenes, which have been removed during the winterization process.
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5. CBDistillery
| Potency | 250 – 5000 mg |
| Available Flavors | None |
| Potency | 8.3 – 166 mg/mL |
About CBDistillery
CBDistillery has been selling their full-spectrum CBD oil for over 5 years now, becoming one of the largest manufacturers in North America. The company has a stellar reputation among CBD users from all over the world, and they recently have introduced a broad-spectrum (pure oil) to their collection.
CBDistillery covers the entire potency range for CBD extracts, from 250 to 5000 mg of CBD per bottle. The strongest version contains 166 mg of CBD in each milliliter, which is enough to get yourself supplied for months to come.
I’ve been trying the company’s 1000 mg CBD oil for my post-injury back pain and was quite satisfied with the results; the pain was more manageable and I didn’t pay as much attention to it as I normally do. I think my initial enthusiasm also resulted from the price of CBDistillery’s products. This is one of the most affordable companies on the market.
However, CBDistillery doesn’t use organic hemp for its products, which is why I’ve decided to put them in the last place on this list. Still, it’s the best CBD oil in this price range.
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What is Arthritis?
Before we explain how you can use CBD oil for your arthritis symptoms, let’s talk about the very condition first.
According to the Arthritis Foundation, arthritis is one of the leading causes of disability in the United States.
We can distinguish two major symptoms of arthritis: inflammatory pain and swollen, poorly functioning joints.
There are two types of arthritis:
- Rheumatoid arthritis: an autoimmune condition in which a person’s immune system attacks their joints, resulting in constant inflammation. This type of arthritis typically appears in the hands and feet, leading to pain and stiffness in the joints.
- Osteoarthritis: a degenerative illness that causes pain and stiffness in bones and joint cartilage. This form of arthritis usually affects the thumb, knee, and hip joints.
CBD and other cannabinoids are known for their ability to reduce pain by altering pain signals between neurons and the brain. They interact with cannabinoid receptors in the human endocannabinoid system — the body’s imperative regulatory network — to block pain signaling, improve immune function, and reduce inflammation.
In other words, CBD plays an important role in regulating the functioning of two systems engaged in arthritis. That’s why scientists believe it has the potential for relieving its debilitating symptoms.
Can CBD Oil Help Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain?
CBD oil is a herbal extract that comes from hemp plants and contains high concentrations of cannabidiol — the main active ingredient.
As mentioned, CBD engages with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) upon entering the bloodstream. The ECS keeps all your biological functions in a state of equilibrium, also known as homeostasis. These functions include memory, emotion processing, immune function, body temperature, inflammation, and pain perception.
Researchers have classified CBD as the modulator of cannabinoid receptors in the ECS. These receptors are responsible for the way our body processes pain and identify harmful compounds in the system. This interaction is believed to produce the aforementioned painkilling and anti-inflammatory effects.
Current studies on CBD and arthritis — using both animal and human models — suggest that CBD could effectively work for the symptoms of arthritis without the side effects linked to using prescription medications.
Animal Studies on Using CBD Oil for Arthritis
Let’s see what animal-based studies have to say about using CBD for arthritis:
- A 2011 study found that CBD helped to lower inflammation and improve inflammatory pain markers in rats by changing the way those animals processed pain signals.
- In a 2014 review of the existing animal studies, researchers concluded that CBD can be an effective support for osteoarthritis sufferers.
- A 2016 study showed that CBD may reduce inflammation associated with arthritis in affected areas of the body when administered topically.
- In a 2017 study, CBD was found to be not only safe but also effective in relieving osteoarthritis joint pain.
But what about human trials? Did they yield similar results?
Human Trials on CBD and Arthritis
The first human study on using CBD for arthritis was conducted in 2006 when a group of researchers began examining the effects of a pharmaceutical spray with a 1:1 ratio of CBD to THC. The drug was Sativex.
As it turned out, Sativex had a significant painkilling effect on individuals with arthritis, and that both pain and inflammation were greatly reduced during the trial. The study only found mild to moderate side effects, but without any symptoms of withdrawal.
Two years later, a 2008 study investigated the efficacy of cannabinoids in the management of chronic pain and found that CBD not only helped with pain relief but also improved the quality of sleep in patients.
Last but not least, in a 2016 analysis of human studies on rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia, researchers also concluded that CBD improved sleep patterns. However, those studies were conducted on small samples and some experts argue that they may not be methodologically valid in terms of testing the consistency of the observed effects.
Where Should You Buy CBD Oil?
Most people — including us — shop for CBD oil online. If you live near a cannabis dispensary (provided that your state allows marijuana), you can go there and find some high-quality products on the shelves. However, this option has a few downsides.
First, running a dispensary is a costly business. There’s rent to pay, staff to employ, and other expenses that online stores can avoid. That’s why dispensary owners sell their products at elevated prices — to make up for those extra costs. This isn’t a problem when you buy CBD online. In fact, online stores often have special deals, discounts, and loyalty programs for their customers to help them save money on their purchases.
The next issue with storefront vendors is product selection. Local shops may not have everything you’re looking for, not to mention that the products could’ve been improperly stored before they made it on the shelves. This can negatively impact potency.
When you buy CBD oil online, you have access to a whole world of CBD products without having to leave your house. You can find premium manufacturers that really care about the quality of what they put inside their bottles. You can easily research any CBD company by reading reviews, checking their websites, and reading lab reports.
How to Find a Trustworthy CBD Company?
Knowing how to tell the difference between poor- and high-quality CBD oil is of utmost importance if you’re using CBD for arthritis.
CBD is a booming market, and as with any lucrative niches, there are many sketchy companies trying to market untested CBD products as a miracle cure for all your problems. With so many brands selling so many different forms of CBD, it can be difficult to find a trusted company.
Here’s what you should look for in CBD oil if you want to effectively use it for arthritis.
1. Check the Hemp Source
Hemp is a bioaccumulator, meaning it can draw both the good and the bad substances from the soil. It’s important that your manufacturer uses organically-grown hemp from local farms. The best regions in America to source hemp are Colorado and California. Steer clear of companies that get their hemp from overseas; it might contain pesticides and dangerous contaminants.
2. Choose CO2 Extracted Products
CO2 extraction is the safest and most efficient way to make pure and potent extracts. The carbon dioxide acts as a solvent under high pressure and low heat to help strip CBD and other compounds from the source plant, leaving behind a concentrated dark liquid.
3. Opt for Full-spectrum CBD
Experts in the cannabis field agree that full-spectrum CBD oil is better for arthritis. 2015 from Israel confirmed that, unlike isolated CBD, full-spectrum oils may help the user avoid the bell-shaped dose-response, which occurs when a substance becomes less effective after reaching a certain dosage threshold.
4. Choose an Appropriate form of CBD for Your Arthritis Symptoms
CBD is available in many different forms, including:
- Sublingual drops
- Capsules
- Edibles
- Vape liquids
- Topicals
CBD oil drops and vape liquids are the best products for arthritis. They offer high bioavailability and fast onset. High bioavailability means that more CBD gets into your system when you take it. For localized relief, we recommend using CBD topicals such as cooling roll-on gels or salves.
5. Read Reports from Third-Party Lab Testing
CBD companies can send their products to independent laboratories for content analysis and certification. These laboratories analyze the concentration of CBD in the product, its cannabinoid profile, and look for over 200 common contaminants. Third-party testing is the best way to tell the difference between a high-quality product and a poorly manufactured one.
CBD Oil Dosage For Arthritis: How Much Should I Take?
We can’t give you any guidelines on that because there is no universal CBD dosage for everyone.
Every person is different. We’re not of the same age and gender; we don’t suffer from the same conditions; so why would you expect a specific dose of CBD oil for arthritis to work for everyone?
Data collected from people with arthritis who use CBD oil for their symptoms suggest that 25 mg of CBD taken twice a day is a good initial point to reduce inflammation and pain in the joints.
You may use the above information as a starting point and monitor the effects over one week. If this dosage makes your arthritis easier to manage, you can stick to it. If not, increase the amount of CBD by 2.5–5 mg and give it another week to adapt.
Final Thoughts on CBD and Arthritis
Arthritis can significantly compromise your quality of life by making you chronically suffer from crippling pain. It’s no wonder this condition is one of the leading causes of disability in the US.
As more research is brought into the field of cannabinoids, we can better understand the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of CBD in the context of arthritic pain and other symptoms associated with this disease.
If you want to try CBD oil for your arthritis, we recommend doing your research before you trust any company with your money and health. There are many unregulated products on the market, so being well-informed about the features of a high-quality CBD product is priceless these days.
But more importantly, consult your doctor about incorporating CBD into your routine in order to consider potential drug interactions and how to avoid them.