CBD for joints and arthritis: what topical studies show

Research on CBD for joints is still developing, and the most promising results come from CBD applied to the skin. In a small controlled trial in thumb arthritis, a CBD cream lowered pain and disability scores more than the same cream without CBD. Larger trials are needed, and anyone with joint pain should see a doctor.

Does CBD cream help arthritis and joint pain?

It might, but the evidence is early. Only a handful of studies have tested CBD on the skin for joint or muscle pain in people. Most were small and short, and each used its own product. The results so far lean positive.

A 2026 review of 19 human studies of cannabis-based products in osteoarthritis summed it up: topical CBD showed the most encouraging results, with an acceptable safety profile. The authors added that the evidence does not yet support routine clinical use, because products and amounts varied so much, and they called for larger, standardised trials (Tee et al., 2026).

Some trials, mostly of CBD taken by mouth, have not yet shown a clear difference from placebo, so research is still developing (Vela et al., 2022; Mojoli et al., 2025; Haffar et al., 2022).

What did the thumb arthritis trial find?

The trial from the University of Virginia is the most-cited study of CBD on the skin for arthritis, because it compared like with like (Heineman et al., 2022).

• Safety first: 10 healthy volunteers applied the CBD cream twice a day for a week. No side effects appeared, so the main trial went ahead.
• Design: 18 people with painful arthritis at the base of the thumb used a cream with 6.2 mg CBD per ml in shea butter, or shea butter alone, twice a day for 2 weeks. After a 1-week break they switched. Neither the participants nor the researchers knew which cream was which.
• Results: during the CBD weeks, pain scores and two hand-function questionnaires improved more than during the shea butter weeks. Range of motion, grip and pinch strength were similar with both creams. There were no side effects.

Because the only difference between the two creams was the CBD, the trial gives a cleaner answer than an open study. It was still small and short, so it needs to be repeated in larger groups over longer periods.

How could CBD on the skin reach a joint?

Animal studies give the first clues:

• CBD gel on rats with knee arthritis: researchers at the University of Kentucky applied CBD gel to the skin for 4 days, at four strengths. Blood levels of CBD rose with the amount applied. At the two higher amounts, joint swelling, signs of pain and inflammation in the joint lining went down, and the rats' normal exploring behaviour did not change (Hammell et al., 2016).
• CBD given at the joint in rat osteoarthritis: CBD reduced joint pain and short-term inflammation. Given early, it also prevented later pain and nerve damage in the joint (Philpott et al., 2017).
• In people: in the hand osteoarthritis study, low levels of CBD were found in the urine of every participant, so some CBD applied to the skin does enter the body (Bawa et al., 2024).

Animal results don't always carry over to people, which is why the human trials above matter most.

What do arthritis guidelines recommend?

For osteoarthritis, the UK's NICE guideline recommends therapeutic exercise for everyone, support with weight loss for people who are overweight, and an anti-inflammatory (NSAID) gel for knee osteoarthritis, which can also be considered for other joints (NICE NG226, 2022). The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommends education, assistive devices and exercise for hand osteoarthritis, and prefers treatments applied to the skin over tablets, with NSAID gels as the first choice (Kloppenburg et al., 2019).

CBD does not appear in either guideline yet; larger trials are needed first. Inflammatory types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, need a doctor's treatment. Don't stop or reduce prescribed medicines without your doctor, whatever you add.

How do people use CBD cream on stiff joints?

Follow the label of your product. In the studies, people applied a small amount to the skin over the painful joint two or three times a day and judged the result after 2 to 4 weeks. For our CBD Skin balm, the label says:

• Apply a small amount to the area 1–4 times a day, and massage it gently into clean, dry skin until absorbed.
• Wash your hands after use. It is for external use only.
• Not for people under 18 or during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Ask a doctor first if you have a serious medical condition or take prescription medicines.

Two habits help: try a small amount on a small patch of skin first, and don't apply it to broken or irritated skin. A short diary of stiffness, pain and what you can do each day shows whether anything changes. Our guide to CBD cream and balm explains how to choose and use a CBD skin product.

Is CBD cream safe, and who should be careful?

Applied to the skin, CBD was well tolerated in the studies above. In patch tests on healthy skin, several CBD creams caused no irritation or allergy (Maghfour et al., 2021). In the athletes' study, some people had mild skin dryness or a rash, which cleared quickly (Hall et al., 2023). The thumb trial reported no side effects.

• Medicines: CBD taken by mouth can change how some medicines work, and some CBD from the skin reaches the body. Tell your doctor or pharmacist about any CBD product you use. Read more in CBD and medication interactions and CBD side effects.
• Pregnancy, breastfeeding and under 18s: don't use CBD products.
• Skin: stop if you notice redness, itching or a rash.

Can CBD help dogs, cats and horses with stiff joints?

Arthritis is common in older pets, and veterinary research on CBD is growing. All the studies below gave CBD by mouth.

• Dogs: a 2023 systematic review pooled five osteoarthritis studies (117 dogs) and found that CBD may reduce pain scores. The trials were small, so the authors rated the certainty as very low and called for larger studies (Patikorn et al., 2023). In one of them, dogs given CBD twice a day had less pain and more activity than with placebo; a rise in the liver enzyme ALP was the main blood finding (Gamble et al., 2018). Read our guide to CBD for dogs.
• Cats: in a placebo-controlled crossover study of 26 cats with osteoarthritis, a CBD/CBDA hemp paste lowered vet and owner pain scores over 6 weeks in the 14 cats that finished. Many cats refused the paste (Mulder et al., 2025). See our guide to CBD for cats.
• Horses: 20 horses with mild osteoarthritis all received the painkiller phenylbutazone; one group also received CBD in hemp oil by mouth for 14 days. The CBD group had lower chronic pain scores and tolerated it well (Interlandi et al., 2024).

Formula Swiss funded research at the University of Bologna that mapped cannabinoid receptors in the dorsal root ganglia of horses. These are the clusters of nerve cells beside the spine that pass sensory signals, including pain, from the body to the spinal cord (Chiocchetti et al., 2021; Galiazzo et al., 2022). These tissue studies show where CBD could act; they did not test a product. More on our scientific research page.

Stiffness or limping can have many causes, so have your vet examine your animal first, and don't replace prescribed pain relief. Our Pet Routine oils for dogs, cats and horses are for external use. Never give pets human cannabis products: THC can poison them.

Our CBD balm for use on the skin: CBD creams and balms.