As an orthopedic surgeon, one of the questions I get asked often in the office is “Does CBD balm work?”
To be honest, there aren’t really many good, high-quality studies investigating whether topical CBD is effective in the management of common musculoskeletal conditions like tendinitis or even arthritis.
However, recently there was a randomized control trial presented in 2022 in the Journal of Hand Surgery (our most prestigious hand surgery journal), which showed that 6.2 mg/mL concentration CBD oil mixed with shea butter reduced pain and disability in 18 patients with arthritis at the base of the thumb who used it twice per day for a period of one week. See the abstract from the article to the right.
While this was a small study and more long-term data is needed, it does suggest that CBD can be helpful for reducing the pain and disability associated with arthritis, particularly in the hands.