Medical Marijuana for Gout
If you suffer from gout, you know firsthand how living with pain affects the overall quality of your life. It makes completing day-to-day tasks almost impossible. And if you’re constantly taking off work because of flare-ups, it is affecting your performance at work.
Learning how to get your gout symptoms under control might feel like a losing battle, but there are many things that you can do that will help you reduce the flare-ups and control the pain from eliminating foods, and sugars, increasing water intake and using medical marijuana to control pain and reduce inflammation.
As if sudden and severe joint pain wasn’t enough, this pain can last for up to ten days affecting your toes, fingers, elbows, wrists, knees, ankles, and even your heels. These flare-ups make living with gout difficult, as they can occur suddenly and sometimes unexpectedly.
Frequently
Asked Questions
What is gout?
Gout is a medical condition that causes swelling and pain in your joints and is considered inflammatory arthritis, which is extremely painful. Our body makes uric acid to break down purines, and Purines are found in many of the foods that we eat. When there is too much uric acid in the bloodstream, urate crystals begin to build up on the joints causing pain and swelling.
What are the common gout symptoms?
- Joint Pain is often intense and is most severe within the first 8 to 12 hours of onset and can last for up to ten days without treatment.
- Discomfort can last for several days after the joint pain disappears.
- Inflammation of the joint(s) causes swelling, tenderness, heat, and redness of the affected joint and surrounding area.
- Limited Range of Motion of the affected joints.
What causes gout flare-ups?
The foods that you eat and your choices of drinks play a major role in gout flare-ups. When you have gout, you’ll need to change the way that you live your life by reducing or eliminating certain things from your diet. Drinking alcohol and eating or drinking foods and drinks with high amounts of fructose increases your risk of having a flare-up. Diets that are high in purines will increase the amount of uric acid in your bloodstream, so you’ll need to eliminate foods such as red meats, organ meat, and certain kinds of seafood from your diet.
What eases gout pain?
Because gout causes swelling and pain, typical treatments include anti-inflammatory drugs and pain medications, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen. These drugs often have a long list of side effects. Cannabis for gout might be something worth looking into, as it contains anti-inflammatory properties and is most commonly used to treat pain.
Can marijuana help gout symptoms?
Marijuana is effective for alleviating pain, swelling, and inflammation, which are all symptoms of gout, making it a great option. The joint pain and inflammation caused by gout are directly linked to the body’s endocannabinoid system. And because the endocannabinoid system is responsible for regulating pain and inflammation, cannabinoids such as CBD found in marijuana help.
Can marijuana help gout pain? Yes. Different types of marijuana contain various levels of THC and CBD. Choosing a strain with higher levels of CBD will help relieve gout pain without an intoxicating effect. This natural remedy has far fewer side effects than traditional medications.
What are the best strains for gout?
An online study performed in 2014 by the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that many gout patients preferred Indica strains for pain management, sedation, and sleep. It was noted that Sativa strains helped to improve energy and mood.
THC, CBD, and CBC are all found in marijuana, and each serves an important role in enhancing the individual effects of offering relief from gout symptoms. This is why marijuana and gout should go hand and hand.
Does CBD help with gout pain?
CBD is found in cannabis and can aid in effectively treating gout symptoms and pain.
CBD oil for gout is highly effective. By simply rubbing the oil on the affected joint, you’ll significantly reduce the pain and swelling. Topical CBD for gout pain can be found in many stores, as they do not contain THC.
When it comes to gout and CBD, you’ll find various products in various forms to suit anyone’s needs. Let’s take a look at your options,
- CBD tinctures are a liquid form that you’ll take using a dropper. This option gives you control over your dosage and can be felt within minutes by placing the drops under your tongue.
- Topicals are great for localized pain. These include creams, massage oils, and lotions that you’ll apply directly to the skin.
- Pills or capsules. This provides you with accurate dosage, unlike with tinctures that provide you with total control. It can take up to 30 minutes for you to begin feeling it.
- Edibles. These are the most common CBD forms, and they often provide a better taste than tinctures and are much easier to take for people who do not like swallowing a pill.
Can I get a medical marijuana card for gout?
One of the most common qualifying medical conditions to obtain a medical card is severe pain. And gout, without a doubt, causes severe pain that affects the overall quality of your life. But the only way to qualify for a medical card is by having a doctor suggest that it’s the best form of treatment. To do this, regardless of what state you live in, you’ll need to schedule an appointment with a marijuana doctor.
You can schedule an appointment with one of the doctors at Elevate Holistics; we offer telehealth services and have partnered with businesses nationwide to provide you with everything you need to obtain your medical card. Our appointments can be done from the comfort of your own home to certify your medical condition and help answer any of your questions about the entire process.
