Bone conditions are a severe problem that some people have to deal with daily. Issues such as fractures and other degenerative bone conditions like osteosarcoma and osteoporosis can significantly affect the structural strength and health of the bones. As a result, symptoms such as stiffness, acute pain, inflammation, and even immobility can appear.
You may wonder how cannabis is related to all this and what exactly this famous cannabinoid can do for your bone health. Well, the truth is that both the scientists’ findings and the answers to these questions could surprise you. Learn with us how to use CBD for bones and the benefits this cannabinoid brings to your health.
CBD and Bone Growth
As incredible as it sounds, there is evidence to suggest that there may be a correlation between CBD and bone growth. A 2009 study found that cannabinoid receptors increase peak bone mass and bone marrow. CBD helps strengthen the callus formation that appears in fractures and helps repair them. This happens because CBD interacts with the CB1 receptor of our endocannabinoid system, which regulates peak bone mass through the effects of osteoclasts, age-related bone loss, and bone resorption.
Many people are familiar with the endocannabinoid system. But did you know that there is also a skeletal cannabinoid system? That’s right, and it can interact directly with our bone cells. Some key components of the endocannabinoid system are also present in our bones. Simply put, CBD can tell our bone cells to regenerate, grow, or self-regulate as needed.
CBD and Bone Healing
CBD interacts with the CB1 and CB2 receptors expressed in our skeletal endocannabinoid system. According to studies, these receptors can regulate bone homeostasis in both rodents and human models.
When talking about the potential use of CBD for bones, bone healing comes as one of the most important aspects to discuss. But, factors such as differences in race, age, and sex may determine the skeletal outcome of activation of the endocannabinoid system. Thus, more clinical trials are needed to validate this information entirely. Despite this, current results of studies and medical and user reports seem quite promising regarding the use of CBD as a possible alternative treatment to help promote bone healing.
CBD and Broken Bones
For years, prescription pain medications and surgery have been the traditional options available to treat many bone health conditions. The problem with these conventional treatments is that they can bring issues or unwanted situations. Some of these treatments can be very invasive, expensive, and even generate specific types of dependency or addiction in the case of drugs.
However, the researchers found that CBD could pose a viable, effective, non-invasive, non-addictive, and safe alternative as a treatment to help deal with some bone health conditions. Cannabidiol can help with inflammation associated with bone wounds and promote better recovery from fractures. In addition to this, this cannabinoid is non-toxic, non-psychoactive, safe, and occurs naturally in high concentrations in hemp plants.
Broken bones heal on their own. Food plays a crucial role during fracture recovery as many of the minerals and vitamins needed to help promote bone growth will come from food. This is why it is essential to stay healthy and eat balanced to heal better.
After a bone breaks, inflammation develops at the fracture site, where a blood clot will form. Then, Cytokines will begin to repair cells in the space where the bone was broken. These cells then transform into specialized cells that create osteoblasts to make new cells and deposit new cartilage and bone. Osteoblasts produce proteins that help create a soft callus that hardens over time. As the bone rebuilds and heals completely, the osteoblasts and osteoclasts weave the bone with new bone-forming cells and bone-resorbing cells.
CBD can help in this entire process as it stimulates the activation of the skeletal endocannabinoid system and promotes cellular homeostasis and bone resorption. Some studies show that CBD only promotes biochemical properties in the healing of bone fractures. In addition, CBD promotes changes in the bone matrix that affect flexibility and stiffness. These properties of CBD demonstrate that it can increase the strength and stiffness of the callus that forms at the fracture site due to the formation of osteoblastic bone. Therefore, a healthy, balanced diet, with a bit of help from CBD, could boost the healing of broken bones.
CBD for Bone Cancer
Bones are undoubtedly one of the most important parts of our body. They are the main support structure of our body, and it is because of them, bone diseases represent a severe condition that can have a tremendous impact on our lives. These organs are a bit more complex than people might initially think since they are composed of several layers, tissues, cavities, and cells. All of these layers and components of bones can be susceptible to various diseases or medical conditions, including cancer.
Bone cancer is a rare type of cancer that begins when cells in the bones start to grow out of control. Many different types of cancer can end up affecting the bones. In addition to this, there are specific types of cancer that can start directly in the bone, such as osteosarcoma, Ewing’s tumors, chondrosarcoma, and bone metastasis. CBD’s relationship with all these types of cancer is primarily symptomatic since there are still no studies showing that CBD or other cannabinoids can cure cancer.
Nevertheless, there is evidence that CBD could be handy to better deal with some symptoms of both bone cancer and the side effects of its treatment of chronic pain, anxiety, nausea, and insomnia. Although we need more studies, there is enough data to show that CBD could effectively help to deal with these symptoms. Also, some people undergoing cancer treatments and taking CBD report benefits such as decreased vomiting, depression, and amelioration of other side effects of cancer treatment.
There are a couple of FDA-approved synthetic drugs called nabilone and dronabinol developed in the laboratory and made from CBD. Scientists developed these drugs specifically to treat chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting. Besides this, CBD can also induce the death of malicious cells and slow down proliferation. Although many of the results of these tests are in vitro and further large-scale clinical trials are needed, the results certainly open the door to new possibilities for the use of CBD for bones and cancer.
CBD Dosage for Bone Cancer
The exact dosage of CBD to treat bone cancer is somewhat challenging to determine as CBD works to treat cancer-related symptoms and not bone cancer as such. Therefore, the ideal dose of CBD will depend on the patient, the type of symptoms they present, and their severity. In addition, other factors can also impact the effects that CBD can generate in each individual, such as body chemistry, weight, and the CBD concentration of the CBD oil, pill, capsule, or edible to be taken.
For example, an ideal dose of CBD to treat severe pain might be 40mg. After a week of use, you can increase the dose to 45 mg of CBD, and by the third week, you can administer 50mg.
When it comes to nausea and vomiting, calculating the exact ideal dose of CBD can be somewhat tricky as the effects of CBD can vary significantly from person to person. Some people find relief at low doses, just as some need massive quantities of CBD to experience the benefits of this cannabinoid. The most ideal is to try for yourself until you find the perfect dose for you.
In the case of insomnia, it is pretty similar. Most clinical trials of CBD to treat sleep problems used doses ranging from 25 mg to 1500 mg of CBD per day. The best thing to do is start with the lowest dose and work your way up until you find the point that works best for you.
Although CBD is safe to use, it is important to talk to your doctor before taking CBD for bones and other conditions. They will be able to guide you through the process and avoid any undesired side effects.
Can CBD Oil Help Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a degenerative bone disease characterized by causing a loss of bone density. This makes the bones weaker and more brittle, making them prone to break easily. Commonly, osteoporosis can even cause major bone fractures in really painful areas such as the hips or the spine.
The researchers found that stimuli to the CB2 receptors of our endocannabinoid system can inhibit the activity of cells that cause bone deterioration. Therefore, CBD, by stimulating these receptors, can reverse bone loss. The specific effects of CBD on osteoporosis processes suggest that CBD could reduce bone resorption that leads to the degradation of bone loss. Therefore, CBD is shown as a compound with enormous therapeutic potential for preventing bone loss and as an effective alternative or complementary treatment for osteoporosis.
