In people with symptomatic thumb basal joint arthritis, topical use of Cannabidiol was safe and showed a considerable reduction in disability and pain.

A single-center, randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic potential of Cannabidiol (CBD) for treating pain related to thumb basal joint arthritis.

After the authorization by Food and Drug Administration and institution, a phase 1 skin test involving ten healthy individuals was carried out. For one week, the recruited subjects were monitored following two times daily topical use of shea butter with 1 ml of 6.2 mg/mL CBD. After no adverse effects were detected, a phase 2, double-blinded, randomized controlled experiment was carried out.

Overall, 18 people with symptomatic thumb basal joint arthritis were randomly assigned to receive either shea butter alone or 6.2 mg/mL CBD twice daily for two weeks, followed by a one-week washout period and two weeks of crossover with the other therapy. At baseline and after the accomplishment of each treatment arm, safety information and physical assessment parameters were collected.

When compared to control arm, Cannabidiol therapy improved outcome measures reported by patients such as Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation scores, Disabilities of hand, shoulder, and arm, and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain from baseline. Similar physical characteristics were found for grip and pinch strength, range of motion, and grip strength. No adverse effects were reported.

Topical CBD therapy elicited remarkable improvements in disability and pain associated with arthritis in the thumb basal joint.