Pilot Study Using Topical Cannabidiol (CBD) to Manage Osteoarthritic Knee Pain
University of Tennessee
Summary
Osteoarthritis of the knee is a common cause of pain in the US. The currently available medicines for knee osteoarthritis sometimes are not effective at relieving the pain or have unacceptable side effects. Thus, alternate pain relieving treatments are needed. CBD, an active chemical from the hemp derived cannabis sativa plant, has received a lot of attention for its potential pain relieving properties, but there has been limited research to find out if topically applied CBD can decrease pain from knee osteoarthritis. CBD lacks the psychoactive effects seen with marijuana use, because it does not contain THC which is responsible for those effects in marijuana. It is legal to use CBD in the State of Tennessee (site of study). The CBD Knee Study is sponsored by the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and is a collaborative effort between doctors at UT and Campbell Clinic. In the CBD Knee Study, the investigators are examining whether topically applied CBD dissolved in Castor Oil will relieve knee pain in persons with knee osteoarthritis. Persons who take part in the study would need to come for study visits, fill out questionnaires about their health and knee pain, and would be asked to use the topical study oil on their knees. Taking part in the CBD Knee Study is voluntary.
Description
Chronic pain is an enormous burden worldwide, impacting more than 30% of the population. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of joint disfunction and pain, affecting 33 million people in the United States. OA is a prominent cause of pain for older individuals, particularly knee pain. Due to the chronic and progressive nature of OA pain, many patients require long-term analgesic management. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), are commonly used to treat moderate pain from OA, but side effects and numerous potential drug interactions limit use in many individuals. Not surprisi…