I'm essentially allergic to all of the prescription pain options. They do very little, if anything, for the pain and keep me awake sometimes for days. And they make me itch. A lot. Like a tweeker needing a fix. Or a kid that just rolled in poison oak. It's bad. So taking those is really pointless. OTC options don't do much for me either. At least not below dosages that will cause harm to my liver. I can't smoke pot, it does strange and unfortunate things to my system. I've thought recently of trying the CBD oils but haven't yet. Perhaps I should explore that option. I tried acupuncture a few times, didn't do much for me. The one topical that works for me (Voltaren gel) is absurdly expensive and not covered by my insurance. It's a topical NSAID and works great, but like I said, can't afford it. So there are days that really suck.
It's usually my knees that do it. Really my entire leg, both of them. Cold, damp, large fluctuations in barometric pressure, pushing it too hard on leg day, walking in the wrong shoes, some floors, there are quite a few triggers to these pain spikes. And dealing with the pain triggers the anxiety, and that triggers the depression, and those contribute to the pain. And about the only real option I have is to suck it up and deal with it. And that, that right there, can be a struggle. A big one.
It has gotten a bit better since I've lost 200 pounds, but it can still put me on my ass. And it does. I try really hard to not let it affect my attitude or keep me from the gym but that's hard too. Even though I know getting up and moving will eventually help just doing it isn't easy. The answer the doctors give me is the same it always is, lose weight. I've tried braces, I've tried wraps. Expensive shoes, cheap shoes, no shoes. I keep going back to the one option I haven'd tried. CBD oil.
And that one I'm just not sure about. Any time you start going with unregulated products there's a risk. What's actually in it? Is it going to work? How will it affect me? The last one is my largest concern. I will never forget the last time I smoked pot. Didn't go so well. And yes, I know CBD isn't the same thing, exactly. It's often touted as the new miracle drug (that isn't a drug man) and purported to treat, cure, improve, everything from depression and pain to cancer.
- A 2011 study found that CBD helped to reduce inflammatory pain in rats by affecting the way that pain receptors respond to stimuli.
- A 2014 review of the existing body of research on animals concluded that CBD may be an effective treatment for OA.
- A 2016 study found that the topical application of CBD had the potential to relieve pain and inflammation associated with arthritis.
- A 2017 study found that CBD might be a safe and useful treatment for OA joint pain.
One of my issues with CBD is that there aren't any long term, legitimate, scientific studies that have been conducted. Sure, there's libraries filled with anecdotal evidence and people who insist it's the new wonder not drug, but I'm not sure about slathering something on me or ingesting something based on personal experience from Joe the local stoner. Another concern I have is that it's not regulated. It's in the same category as vitamins and supplements. There is no guarantee you're getting what you think you're getting. You really only have the label and seller's word about what's in it. There's no way to know if it's contaminated with something else. And really no recourse if it is.
A study in the European Journal of Pain used an animal model to see if CBD could help people with arthritis manage their pain. Researchers applied a topical gel containing CBD to rats with arthritis for 4 days. Their researchers note a significant drop in inflammation and signs of pain, without additional side effects. And when you research CBD "rats" is the most common word. Injected into, rubbed onto, applied to, rats. At the same time, what do I have to lose other than the money I'll spend on it? I've been through all the other options and when I can't move for two days I need an option. When I start having pain induced anxiety attacks, I need an option. When I can't sleep and getting out of bed in the morning one of my first thoughts is "maybe suicide isn't a horrible idea", I need another option. I don't know, maybe a trip to the local pot shop is worth a shot.
Sources:
