Can CBD-based creams and lotions help joint pain? Many say 'yes'

ATLANTA - At The Georgia Hemp Company in Sandy Springs, Georgia, CBD, or cannabidiol, lotions and balms are hot-sellers.

They're made with a compound found in industrial hemp, thought to relieve pain and inflammation.

Dr. Taz Bhatia of Atlanta's CentreSpring MD says you apply them to the skin over a painful area.

"For example, you pull a muscle," Dr. Bhatia says. "You have a muscle strain or pain; you can use it for that. I've used it with some autoimmune patients, and they're having a flare of joint pain or joint swelling, they will use it locally and just put it in the area that is affected."

Bhatia says the CBD-based creams and lotions will not penetrate systemically.

"So you can't use it topically and expect overall pain or inflammation to go away," she says. "But, it definitely helps where you put it locally."

But how well does topical CBD work? 

Much of what we know, Dr. Bhatia says, is anecdotal, or based on personal experience.

But, an 2019 Arthritis Foundation survey of about 2,600 arthritis patients found many feel CBD helps.

Of those surveyed:

• 67% reported better physical function.
• 71% were sleeping better.
• Over 30% helped relieve stiffness and fatigue.

The survey found about two-thirds of patients say they've talked to their doctor about CBD.

"The biggest challenge with the entire CBD industry now is regulation, and not knowing when you've got a good product versus a bad product," Bhatia cautions.

She recommends her patients buy from a reputable company that provides a certificate of analysis, showing the product has been tested for purity and safety by an outside company.

And she says, check the label.

"If a label is specific, and it gives you how many milligrams are in a certain about, or if it tells you what the source is, or where it was manufactured, or what type of testing it submitted itself to, those are other signs you've got a better and higher quality brand," Bhatia says.