Using CBD Oil for Knee Pain Relief

In the world of athletics, injuries to the knee are amongst the most infamous. Even outside athletics, the knee supports an incredible amount of weight and usage. Whether it be from sports or just daily life, at some point you are likely to have trouble with your knee. And with such a vital role in walking, standing, and even sitting, it should be no surprise that you and many others want relief for it. So, can CBD help pain with your knee? In this article, we’ll go over that question. But first, let’s dive deeper into the knee itself.

The Knee

The knee is a complicated joint. Unlike most other joints, it must support almost the entire weight of your body! Furthermore, it needs to remain flexible – but not too flexible. Case in point, you’ll probably cringe when I mention twisting your leg at the knee joint. We know that isn’t supposed to happen, and the mere thought can be uncomfortable! So, what keeps the knee together and functioning?

Let’s first talk about the three major bones of the knee: the patella (or knee cap), the tibia (or shin bone in the lower leg), and the femur (or thigh bone in the upper leg). The patella sits in front of the other two bones where they meet. All three bones are kept connected via ligaments, bands that prevent the bones from doing things that are too crazy. Some of these ligaments include the PCL and ACL – bands that connect the femur and tibia bones in the space directly between them.

Imagine if your bones were scraping against each other all the time. Sounds painful, right? Fortunately, the body tries to prevent that by using cartilage, or rubber-like material, and bursas, or fluid-filled sacs. These things provide shock-cushioning for your knee joint, so the bones never smack each other directly.

Injuries to the knee can greatly vary, but some common ones include breaking ligaments (like tearing your ACL) or inflammation of bursas. In the case of an ACL tear, you’ll have trouble moving your knee joint, and it will likely require surgery. In the case of bursitis (a flamed bursa), you probably won’t need surgery, but moving the knee joint will be hard and painful.¹

While the more serious injuries tend to come about from sports, ordinary wear and tear on the knee can also present problems. It is for this reason that knee issues are likely to hit everyone at some point in life. So, what can CBD do for your knee?

CBD for Pain and Inflammation

Research on CBD is still early, but between the so-far published studies and reviews, great things are known. Furthermore, anecdotal evidence in support of CBD is quite good, hence part of its sudden surge in popularity. So, can CBD relieve pain?

While the term “pain killer” may not be applicable (that’s usually reserved for NSAIDs like ibuprofen), CBD has been established as having analgesic (pain-killing) properties. Of particular note, inflammation and pain-related behavior was suppressed in rats using CBD for arthritis.²

CBD is also known to interact with TRP channels. A TRP channel is a special gateway into the cell that helps its communication with the nervous system. There are many kinds of TRPs, and they have a broad range of effects, from helping you sense temperature, to experiencing pain. Some of the channels CBD interacts with – such as TRPV1 – are related to pain.³ CBD is known to desensitize these channels, nullifying a good amount of the pain signal at its start.

CBD is also known for its anti-inflammatory effects. These stem from its interactions with the immune system. CBD is considered an immunosuppressant, meaning it suppresses some elements of the immune system.⁴ Don’t worry: this doesn’t mean taking CBD will suddenly make you sick. In fact, CBD has been well documented in safety and tolerance for many people.⁵

What does it mean, then, for CBD to suppress the immune system? Well, one specific thing it means is its pushes down inflammation. The inflammation tends to be mediated by chemical messengers called cytokines that tell the rest of the body there is a problem somewhere, and inflammation is necessary. As many of us known, inflammation is not always necessary – a lot of the time, the body is making a mistake and causing inflammation in places where there is no infection of any kind. CBD – and some of the other cannabinoids it tends to come packed with – can help suppress some of those inflammation-signaling cytokines, thus aiding in inflammation.^{6 7 8}

CBD and the Knee

So how does this all relate to the knee? While CBD won’t miraculously fix a torn ACL (no, really, it won’t), it can help with some of the pain that accompanies common knee injuries. Issues like bursitis can be dealt with, although don’t expect inflammation to just magically disappear. While some pain-relieving elements of CBD may be fast-acting, inflammation tends to involve a gradual decrease of cytokine signaling, meaning it can take some time for it to go away. Furthermore, CBD won’t magically heal all inflammation: some bad cases of arthritis may be out of the realm for CBD, even if it can help relieve some of the pain. Even so, CBD for bursitis of the knee may be just what the doctor ordered.

Speaking of doctors, it is important to always speak with them on the subject of knee injuries. The knee has an incredibly strenuous job in the body, and any issues with it should be given the care that is duly needed. Even if you think CBD can help, speak with your doctor about the problem, and make sure any medication or treatments he provides are safe with CBD. CBD does have a safe record of drug interactions, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

Finally, you should try a combination of both orally-taken tinctures and topically-applied gels and creams for your knee. The orally-taken CBD oils will help mediate healing and pain-relief from deeper inside your body, while the topical products can help soothe you more immediately, and from the outside more. Because problems in the knee can range greatly in how deep or superficial they are, both kinds of products should be considered.

Yes.Life offers both oral and topical products. Not only this but Yes.Life provides powerful, water-soluble, nano-sized CBD oil, meaning that – despite being an oil – the CBD can bypass the water layers that fill your body. This increases absorption greatly and means you don’t have to pay for nearly as much CBD. Merely hold the orally-taken oil under the tongue for 15-30 seconds, or apply and rub in just about a nickel’s-worth of gel and cream to the knee for results. Keep in mind that some problems may take a few weeks to resolve over, but don’t worry: Yes.Life also has a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you don’t find the results you’re looking for by then, Yes.Life will gladly reimburse you.

So what are you waiting for? If you are having trouble with your knee, give Yes.Life CBD oil a shot right now. The best topical product will be the Nano Pain Relief Cream, although the Yes.Life CBD Roll-on can also provide quick relief in an easy-to-carry package. As for orally-taken tinctures, try out the 250 mg first: while some sellers claim you need much more, Yes.Life has taken great measures to keep their CBD highly absorptive, meaning you get a much greater effect with significantly less than much of the competition. The tinctures come in two flavors: Mixed Berry and Cinnamon. Pick what suits your tastes best, and try it out now! Just remember, always talk to your doctor about knee troubles first!

¹ FNP, Kathleen Davis. “The Knee: Anatomy, Injuries, Treatment, and Rehabilitation.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 18 Aug. 2017, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/299204.php.

² Hammell, D.c., et al. “Transdermal Cannabidiol Reduces Inflammation and Pain-Related Behaviours in a Rat Model of Arthritis."European Journal of Pain 20, no. 6 (2015): 936–948., doi:10.1002/ejp.818.

³ Caterina, Michael J. “TRP Channel Cannabinoid Receptors in Skin Sensation, Homeostasis, and Inflammation.” ACS Chemical Neuroscience 5, no. 11 (2014): 1107–1116., doi:10.1021/cn5000919.

⁴ Rieder, Sadiye Amcaoglu, et al. “Cannabinoid-Induced Apoptosis in Immune Cells as a Pathway to Immunosuppression.” Immunobiology 215, no. 8(2010): 598–605., doi:10.1016/j.imbio.2009.04.001.

⁵ Iffland, Kerstin, and Franjo Grotenhermen. “An Update on Safety and Side Effects of Cannabidiol: A Review of Clinical Data and Relevant Animal Studies.” Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research 2, no. 1(1 June 2017): 139–154., doi:10.1089/can.2016.0034.

⁶ Zhang, Jun-Ming, and Jianxiong An. “Cytokines, Inflammation, and Pain.” International Anesthesiology Clinics 45, no. 2 (2007): 27–37., doi:10.1097/aia.0b013e318034194e.

⁷ Nagarkatti, Prakash, et al. “Cannabinoids as Novel Anti-Inflammatory Drugs.” Future Medicinal Chemistry 1, no. 7(2009): 1333–1349., doi:10.4155/fmc.09.93.

⁸ Kaplan, Barbara L.f., et al. . “The Profile of Immune Modulation by Cannabidiol (CBD) Involves Deregulation of Nuclear Factor of Activated T Cells (NFAT).” Biochemical Pharmacology 76, no. 6(2008): 726–737., doi:10.1016/j.bcp.2008.06.022.