Is CBD Good for Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a condition that causes weakened bones and puts people at a higher risk for bone fractures. This results in minor falls and bumps causing a serious injury. The bones that are most affected include wrists, hips, and the spine, which can lead to long-term recoveries. As people get older, osteoporosis becomes more common and more serious since it takes their bones longer to heal.

Usually osteoporosis is identified through an initial fracture, but other symptoms include back pain, collapsed or fractured vertebra, loss of height, stooped posture, and lowered grip strength. It’s usually diagnosed by a doctor examining your bone density. 

Osteoporosis Treatment

With so many Americans living with this, viable treatments are very necessary. Some of the current lifestyle changes include a varied diet of fruit, vegetables, and grains, avoiding smoking, reducing alcohol intake, limiting caffeine, doing regular weight-bearing and strength-training activities, and ensuring adequate vitamin-d and calcium intake. 

There are also prescription medications for more serious and advanced osteoporosis. They are usually used to increase the formation of new bone or slow down the breakdown process. All of these prescription medications come with a long list of risks and side effects, however, that can cause even more trouble than someone with osteoporosis was already dealing with. 

CBD for Osteoporosis

Some people who are interested in the CBD craze have asked the question, “Is CBD good for osteoporosis?” In fact, CBD is being looked at as a safer and more effective treatment for people dealing with all levels of osteoporosis. The human body has an endocannabinoid system and there are two major cannabinoids that interact with them — THC and CBD. THC is the chemical that gives the stereotypical high people experience when they smoke marijuana because it activates the endocannabinoid receptors in our bodies. 

CBD is the non-psychoactive compound in cannabis, meaning it does not get a user high like THC does. This is because CBD just helps our endocannabinoids work better rather than activating them. 

There is new research showing that bone cells express cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoid metabolizing enzymes. This means that CBD is able to interact with them and help fight against osteoporosis.

CBD has been shown to improve bone mass, which is key in helping with osteoporosis. The cell that breaks down bones is called osteoclasts and they have a cell receptor that speeds up bone loss when activated. CBD has been found to block this specific receptor, therefore slowing down the degeneration of bones. 

A more indirect way CBD helps is with pain and inflammation. People use CBD for all different types of pain, and CBD is being used as an option for people suffering from the pain of fractured or fragile bones. 

CBD is great because it comes in so many different forms to be consumed and there is no such thing as overdosing on CBD. Of course, you want to use high-quality CBD to be safe so there are no artificial additives. CBD can be taken with oral drops, pastes, gummies and more. Concentration of CBD in these products do vary though, so pay attention to the label. 

Ultimately, CBD is a safe, convenient, and all natural option for treating osteoporosis. It has no known side effects, even in very high dosages, compared to some of the other medications used to treat osteoporosis that have been known to cause multiple different forms of cancer. If you’re looking for a more natural way to help with pain and bone fragility, CBD might be a worthwhile option to consider.

How to take CBD

If you do decide CBD oil may be the right path for you and the treatment of your osteoporosis, be sure to start with a smaller dosage like 25 mg and continue to increase it by 5-10 mg per day. This will help you find your best dosage for managing your pain. Of course, read the label on the product because the method of ingestion causes the dosage recommendation to vary. 

Osteoporosis may not have to be so debilitating anymore with the option of CBD; by simultaneously helping with bone mass as well as pain and inflammation, it could be the perfect solution without all the adverse effects of other medications. Always speak to your physician before tying any new treatment option.