As I’ve gotten older, I’ve developed some issues with arthritis in my fingers.
Initially, the symptoms were quite mild.
I noticed a bit of stiffness and swelling in my knuckles. My hands hurt a bit at the end of the day. I managed to find relief with natural home remedies such as drinking dark cherry juice and eating yellow raisins soaked in gin. About a year ago, during the middle of the summer, my fingers swelled up so much and so suddenly that I had to cut off my rings. My knuckles ached so badly that I couldn’t open jars, weed the garden or braid my hair. I struggled with zippers and typing on a keyboard. I worried that my quality of life was permanently diminished. I looked into the different medicines available to treat arthritis and read about the extensive harmful side-effects. I then came across success stories from people who had turned to cannabis to treat arthritis symptoms. As a plant-based medicine, cannabis avoids the long term risks. CBD, a cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant, has proven effective at relieving pain and inflammation. CBD doesn’t cause a high sensation. I am able to use CBD products before, during and after work with no worries. I can go about my regular activities without worry. I choose full spectrum CBD products with a trace of THC because studies have shown that the combination of different cannabinoids and terpenes work best. I apply cannabis-infused topicals directly to my knuckles. I also place a few drops of a tincture under my tongue to treat the arthritis from the inside.