CBD oil (Cannabidiol) is a potent natural anti-inflammatory that can give you relief from gout pain. Gout is a kind of arthritis that mainly affects the limb joints, caused by excess uric acid crystallization.

Imagine hard water salt sedimentation that builds in our plumbing system, which ultimately causes water damage? Yes, something similar happens to our joints when excess uric acid starts building up. The accumulation triggers sudden extreme pain and swelling, especially at night, when the limbs are resting. 

While non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) help contain the symptoms, they cause serious side effects, such as acid reflux and kidney problems. Therefore, traditional healthcare professionals recommend using natural or herbal remedies to treat gout pain.

CBD oil extracted from cannabis has shown helpful in joint pain and inflammation relief. 

This article talks about the usefulness of CBD oil for gout.

What Happens in Gout?

Gout is popularly addressed as the ‘Disease of Kings’ as it is directly linked to the overconsumption of rich foods that only the wealthy could afford.

The disease is common in older individuals and less likely to occur in young’ uns. Gout begins from the feet, especially with the largest joint, the big toe. Fingers, wrists, ankles, elbows, and the knees are other commonly affected limb joints. 

The uric acid deposit causes soreness, inflammation, intense pain, and redness. Gout is characterized by sudden shooting pain at night, tenderness or extreme pain on touching, joint and muscle stiffness, and painful movements. 

Facts about Gout:

• Gout forms needle-like crystals in joints that damage the nerves.
• Gout pain is more like a sudden attack that lasts up to 12 – 14 hours. 
• The area swells and becomes tender, warm, and painful.
• Even after the attack, the pain lingers for a while, possibly from a few days to several weeks.
• More violent attacks can follow one gout attack. 
• Gout hampers motion and decreases individual capabilities in accomplishing simple tasks, such as walking. 
• Untreated or unmanaged gout can lead to permanent disability.

Many things, including your lifestyle and food habits, can contribute to gout. Risk factors include:

• Family history
• Male gender
• Ages between 40 and 50, genetics
• Organ transplant
• Chemotherapy medicines
• Obesity
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• High blood pressure
• Hypothyroidism
• Certain medications (diuretics, aspirin, niacin, levodopa, and cyclosporine)
• Dehydration 
• Joint damage due to a surgery 

Consuming foods that are rich in purines, such as organ meats, turkey, red meat, shrimps, scallops, and shellfish, can trigger excess production of uric acid in the blood. 

CBD Oil for Gout

CBD oil is a kind of cannabinoid found in cannabis. The oil is generally extracted from hemp, and marijuana plants.

They are non-intoxicating, unlike THC, yet have the potential to relax the mind thoroughly. In traditional medicine, CBD is described as a psychoactive substance that alters pain receptors and mood. 

How CBD Oil Works as a Pain Reliever 

Several studies show that CBD oil effectively relieves pain by interacting with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) components. Some of these components are proteins of the central nervous system and body.

The ECS plays a significant role in pain management, besides regulating our mood and memory. CBD oil binds the TRPV1, TRPV2, GPR3, GPR6 receptors that are responsible for inflammation, pain awareness, and temperature. 

Besides working on the endocannabinoid system, the CBD also activates the serotonin receptors, which regulates our mood, depression, and anxiety, and boosts the peroxisome, proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) that fight inflammation. 

Research also shows a positive link between CBD oil and glutamate levels in our spinal cord and brain. CBD oil can effectively inhibit the glutamate levels, resulting in decreased sensation and communication of pain. 

Additionally, CBD oil productively increases anandamide signaling, a brain molecule that determines your level of happiness, pleasant feelings, and well-being. 

Being an essential member of the cannabis family, CBD oil is also believed to improve our sleeping pattern that gout happens to spoil. By modulating the endocannabinoid system, CBD oil revitalizes the state of homeostasis. 

Besides gout pain, CBD oil has produced effective results in the treatment of other chronic pain, including intractable cancer pain, stroke, neuropathy pain, and multiple sclerosis (MS).

Another critical study reveals that CBD oil is more effective as a topical ointment than oral ingestion, especially in cases where the pain is caused by muscle and joint diseases, such as arthritis. 

How to Use CBD Oil For Gout

No matter how you use it, whether you ingest or apply, you must consider a few things when shopping for the oil, such as:

• The product should specify ‘full-spectrum oil’ so that you get the benefits of both CBD and TCH.
• Since FDA does not certify CBD oil, make sure a prominent third-party organization tests the brand you buy. Check the label for authentication.
• Shop for organic CBD only, especially cannabis that is grown in the United States. They follow agriculture regulation, which makes it chemicals and pesticides free. 
• Different CBD edibles are available in the form of gummies and truffles. However, to get the most of your CBD, you must apply it directly to the affected area. This is because edibles absorb only 20 – 30 percent of the CBD through digestion.
• In case you are choosing an edible CBD, go for sublingual products, such as sprays, lozenges, oils, etc. Sublingual products are placed under the tongue and are absorbed by the tongue rather than passing through the digestive system.

Topical Ointments

When it comes to treating gout, topical ointment proves to be the most effective treatment approach. You can shop for CBD oil that is instilled with a carrier oil, such as coconut, almond, olive oil, etc. You can also use CBD-infused salves, lotions, balms, creams, and gels. Transdermal patches are equally beneficial. 

Topical products provide concentrated relief to a particular group of muscles or joints. However, since your skin’s rate of permeability is relatively low, you would want to go for a topical ointment with a high CBD percentage.

Do not massage the area; instead, apply generously and gently, until the oil is absorbed thoroughly.

While there are many ways to use CBD oil, and your body may react differently to each product, it is vital to test them all and come to your conclusion. Also, if it helps, you can talk to your healthcare provider for a holistic opinion. 

Author Bio

Emylee is a wellness lifestyle writer. She likes to share her thoughts related to natural & home remedies, fitness, yoga, and exercises through her writing.

She is the writer for How To Cure. She can connect with others experiencing health concerns and help them to improve their physical and mental health.