Cannabidiol is not often used to treat juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Nevertheless, as per a Pediatric Rheumatology study, there is considerable interest in using it for JRA patients among their caregivers. The results of the study suggest a requirement for further research on CBD for arthritis to educate rheumatologists regarding the potential benefits of cannabidiol.
As per investigators, effective JRA treatments include NSAIDs, DMARDs, biological agents, and corticosteroids. Each of those treatment options for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis has potential side effects. Children and parents often bother about negative secondary effects as well as whether JIA medications are safe when used over a long time. Consequently, many consume complementary and integrative medicine like cannabidiol separately or together with standard JRA treatments.
From January 2017 to December 2019, researchers searched the database of the University of Michigan for all kids aged 0 to 17 years with ICD-10 codes for JRA. Eligible research participants were guardians or parents of clinical JRA patients aged below 18 years, with at least one visit to a clinic for pediatric rheumatology and a rheumatologist’s evaluation in the past 18 months. In the period, they were requested to fill out a survey with questions that concerned the demographics of patients and caregivers as well as parental use of cannabis and cannabidiol for arthritis.
The survey was used to collect information like the perceptions on the effectiveness and safety of cannabidiol and whether the participants had talked to their children’s rheumatologists about CBD. People who were treating their children’s arthritis with cannabidiol were asked regarding administration, disease activity, daily dosage, and frequency.
Demographics were comparable among participants, and almost all of them reported that they used a CIM therapy at the least. Most of them had at least a university bachelor’s degree and over $50,000 a year in income. Besides, more than 95% of them are white people. There was high disease activity more common in family members who were keen on using cannabidiol products or were using those items.
Up to 422 JRA patients met eligibility criteria, and the caregivers of 236 of them agreed to take part in the study, and 58% of them completed the online survey. Only 7% of those participants had used cannabidiol for JRA, but 54% had thought about using it. Up to 47 of them had no interest in cannabidiol. Over 50% of those participants believed that cannabidiol is safe since it is an organic substance.