Topical Hemp Seed Oil Reduces Osteoarthritic Knee Pain In Iranian Clinical Trial
According to the results of a peer-reviewed analysis published in October 2023, an estimated 654 million people worldwide suffer from osteoarthritis knee pain, with 5% of all primary care visits in adults being related to knee pain.
The condition can develop for various reasons, with sports-related injuries being a very common contributing factor. Treating the condition typically involves the use of pharmaceutical painkillers, and in some cases, surgery.
A team of researchers in Iran recently conducted a clinical trial involving osteoarthritis knee pain patients and the topical application of hemp seed oil, with the results of the trial indicating that the therapy was effective. Below is more information about the clinical trial and its results via a news release from NORML:
Rafsanjan, Iran: The daily topical application of hemp seed oil improves osteoarthritic knee pain, according to placebo-controlled clinical trial data published in the journal Pain Management Nursing.
Iranian investigators assessed the efficacy of cold-pressed hemp seed oil versus either placebo or the NSAID diclofenac (aka Voltaren) in 90 patients with osteoarthritic knee pain and stiffness. Patients enrolled in the trial were between the ages of 45 and 70 years old. Study participants were assessed at baseline and again at four weeks and at eight weeks.
Researchers reported that the topical application of hemp seed oil provided therapeutic effects similar to those of diclofenac and superior to those of the placebo. Investigators reported that the oil was “safe and well tolerated.”
The study’s authors concluded: “This randomized controlled trial found that the daily application of topical hemp seed oil improved knee pain, physical function, and perceived knee stiffness. … Topical herbal compounds may have a role in the treatment of painful chronic conditions, such as knee OA [osteoarthritis], to reduce the systemic adverse effects of oral drugs.”
Full text of the study, “Effect of topical hemp (cannabis sativa) seed oil on knee osteoarthritis: A randomized double-blind controlled trial,” appears in Pain Management Nursing.