Does cannabis help with joint pain?
Medical cannabis may reduce joint pain and inflammation, improving mobility and comfort for patients with arthritis or other chronic conditions. It can serve as an alternative or complementary therapy for those seeking relief from persistent joint discomfort.
Joint pain has a way of making simple, everyday tasks harder. Opening a jar, climbing stairs, holding a pen, even just getting dressed in the morning. When your joints hurt and you've been living with it for months or years, you'll know how exhausting that gets.
Most people start with painkillers, anti-inflammatories, maybe some physiotherapy. But when those don't quite cut it, or when the side effects start piling up, you begin looking for other options. That's when medical cannabis starts appearing on your radar.
It's not a magic fix, and it won't rebuild damaged cartilage or reverse arthritis. But some patients find it helps manage the pain in a way that other treatments haven't.
In this blog, we look at what causes joint pain, how cannabis might help, and whether it's something worth exploring through a service like Medicann.
What causes joint pain?
Joint pain shows up for all kinds of reasons. Maybe you overdid it at the gym, twisted something the wrong way, or you're just getting older and your joints aren't what they used to be. Sometimes it's down to an injury that never quite heals properly. Other times it's something more long-term, like arthritis or an autoimmune condition.
The most common culprits are osteoarthritis - where the cushioning between your joints wears down over time - and rheumatoid arthritis, which is when your immune system goes a bit rogue and starts attacking your own joints. Then there's gout, bursitis, fibromyalgia, or just general wear and tear from years of use.
Sometimes you know exactly why your knee or shoulder hurts. Other times, it's frustratingly vague - you just know it hurts and no one can quite tell you why.
Types of joint pain: acute vs chronic
Acute joint pain is short-term. It might last a few days or weeks, often linked to an injury or a flare-up of an existing condition. You twist your knee, it swells up, it hurts for a bit, then it settles. In many cases, conservative measures such as rest, ice, and short-term pain relief are enough to help symptoms settle.
Chronic joint pain is different. It's pain that sticks around for three months or longer, and it often comes with inflammation, stiffness, and days where you can barely move. This is the type of pain that affects your quality of life - your sleep, your mood, your ability to work or do the things you enjoy.
Chronic pain is harder to treat because it's not just about healing an injury. It's about managing something that might not go away completely. That's when many people start looking beyond the standard options.
How cannabis interacts with joint pain
Cannabis doesn't work like normal painkillers. Paracetamol blocks pain signals. Ibuprofen brings down inflammation.Medical cannabis does something different - it works with a system in your body called the endocannabinoid system, which is involved in how you feel pain, how inflamed things get, and how your immune system behaves.
The main cannabinoids - THC and CBD - plug into receptors in this system. That can change how intense pain feels, calm down inflammation in your joints, and sometimes help you relax or sleep better when you're uncomfortable.
It's not guaranteed however, recent studies published in Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology have shown that cannabis should be taken seriously as a potential treatment for joint pain.
How cannabinoids work in the body
Your body already produces cannabinoids naturally - they're part of how you manage pain and inflammation without even thinking about it. The cannabinoids in cannabis are similar enough that they can work with the same receptors.
THC mostly affects your brain and nervous system, which is why it changes how you feel pain. It's also why it can make you high. CBD doesn't get you high, but it seems to help with inflammation and might calm things down if your immune system's overreacting. Indeed, according to a 2021 study published in The Journal of Clinical Medicine, it also seems to help your body use its own cannabinoids more effectively.
The theory is that if your body can't manage pain well on its own, cannabis might give it a boost. We don't know everything about how it works yet, but the research that exists is encouraging.
CBD vs THC for pain relief
This is one of the most common questions patients ask. Which one actually helps with pain?
The honest answer is: it depends. Some people find CBD alone is enough, especially for inflammation and stiffness. It doesn't have the psychoactive effects of THC, so you can use it during the day without feeling "out of it". But for others, CBD on its own doesn't quite do the job.
THC tends to be more effective for pain relief, particularly severe or chronic pain. It changes how your brain processes pain signals, which can make the pain feel less intense. The downside is that it can make you feel high, drowsy, or a bit foggy - which can interfere with tasks like working or driving.
A lot of medical cannabis products contain a mix of both THC and CBD. The idea is that they work better together - CBD can balance out some of the psychoactive effects of THC while still giving you pain relief. The right formulation for you will depend on your individual requirements and medical history. At Medicann, our process is quick and easy, and it all starts with an approved doctor looking at your symptoms and lifestyle to decide which formulation makes the most sense for you.
Does cannabis help fibromyalgia pain?
Fibromyalgia can be hard to live with. It can cause widespread pain, fatigue, brain fog, and often sleep problems. Science has found no one clear cause. For this reason, standard painkillers often don't help to reduce the pain as it isn't always being caused by inflammation or tissue damage. Instead, it's thought to be related to how the nervous system processes pain signals.
This is where medical cannabis has started to show some promise. Because cannabis affects how the brain perceives pain, it can be used to treat a range of conditions, including fibromyalgia. According to a recent study published in the scientific journal Brain and Behavior, for example, treatment with cannabis-based medicinal products can bring both improvements in patient-reported fibromyalgia symptoms and quality of life. While it's not a cure, and it doesn't work for everyone, for some people it makes life more manageable.
Research into cannabis and fibromyalgia is still limited, but early studies and patient experiences suggest it might be worth considering, especially if you've tried multiple treatments without much success. A specialist consultation with Medicann can help you work out whether it's an option worth exploring.
Can I get medical cannabis for joint pain in the UK?
Yes. Medical cannabis is legal when prescribed by a specialist, and joint pain - including fibromyalgia, arthritis and other chronic conditions - is one of the things it can be prescribed for, particularly if you've tried other treatments and they haven't done enough.
With Medicann, you start by checking if you're eligible online. If it looks like it might suit you, you can book a consultation with a GMC-registered specialist. They'll go through your medical history, what you've already tried and assess the severity of your symptoms.
If they think cannabis could help, they'll arrange a legal prescription tailored to you. It comes through proper regulated channels, so it's all above board. You'll get follow-up appointments too, so you can see how it's working and adjust things if needed.
Joint pain can gradually affect your daily activities and quality of life. Finding something that helps usually means trying different things until you land on what works for you.
Medical cannabis isn't going to be the answer for everyone. But for some people, it's makes a significant difference. If you're curious, get in touch with us to check eligibility. You can have an honest conversation with a specialist about whether it's worth trying.