Arthritis Foundation and CBD: New Guidelines Published

The foundation is the largest organization to date that personally represents the needs of this with arthritis. As a voice and advocate for this group of people the Arthritis Foundation is not only open to, but encourages the advancement of treatment options whether alternative or pharmaceutical.

From their official statement the foundation states: “We believe patients should be empowered to find safe management strategies that are appropriate for them. The more options available, the likelier it is that more people will benefit.”

The Arthritis Foundations Intervention:

An encouraging observation of the Arthritis Foundation’s involvement in the use of CBD is their advocacy for studies and regulation. They have urged the FDA to expedite studies and regulations for CBD products to ensure safer and more consistent products for arthritis consumers. The organization made an official request for the FDA to begin supporting and expediting the scientific study of CBD for use in arthritis pain.

Not only did they make the request, they provided insights and statistics of this population of people, arthritis sufferers, and their use of CBD currently for pain management. They recognize a need for regulation along with patient education on how to properly use CBD to mitigate arthritis pain.

Guidance:

The Arthritis Foundation goes beyond making a statement of support, but provides guidance to potential CBD users on how to safety and effectively use cannabidiol in their arthritis pain management regimen. They give insight into the different forms of CBD products, what cannabidiol is, how much to use, and guidance on how to select a reputable manufacturer.

At this point these are only guidance points. With the support of the Arthritis Foundation and the FDA, hopefully soon there will be standards to follow when making the decision to implement CBD into your pain management regimen.

The Arthritis Foundation is sure to note that CBD should not be used in place of pharmaceutical intervention for inflammatory arthritis. Disease-modifying medications are prescribed to prevent joint damage due to inflammation and until CBD is proven to correct this form of inflammation and damage it should not take the place of prescription intervention.

The foundation additionally encourages CBD users to discuss its use with their healthcare provider. It is advised that follow-ups should be done to evaluate whether the approach is working effectively.  Starting with a low dose and advancing in small increments until an effective dose is found is recommended by the Arthritis Foundation.