Painful disorders of the musculoskeletal system, such as osteoarthritis, markedly reduce quality of life and their incidence rises with age. Topical therapy — the application of active substances directly to the affected area — has advantages over oral medicines above all in terms of safety: whereas oral NSAIDs are associated with a risk of systemic adverse effects (gastro-, hepato- or nephrotoxicity), topical treatment is considerably safer in this respect. In addition to the acrylic adhesive, ALGYL CBD patches contain a combination of CBD, Arnica montana extract and menthol as excipients.
Characteristics
ALGYL CBD is a medical device in the form of a patch for external topical application to the skin over painful joints or muscles. It has two principal effects: a rapid cooling action followed by a gradual analgesic action on the nerves and muscles beneath the patch, and thus more prolonged pain relief. The stimulation improves the blood supply to the muscles, which contributes to further relief.
Cannabidiol (CBD)
Alongside THC, cannabidiol is the principal pharmacologically active phytocannabinoid of the Cannabis sativa plant. It has analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The analgesic and anti-inflammatory action is mediated by binding to a number of receptors — for example the endocannabinoid receptor CB2 (abundantly present in the skin, the synovium, the peripheral nerves and the immune system) — by raising the level of the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide (inhibition of the enzyme FAAH), and by action on the vanilloid receptor TRPV1 and on the nuclear receptor PPAR-gamma.
An advantage of topical transdermal administration of CBD is that it can act directly at the site of application without a first-pass effect in the liver. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study in patients with osteoarthritis of the thumb carpometacarpal joint (CMC-1) demonstrated that, after 2 weeks, topical CBD led to a significant reduction in pain and an improvement in functional scores compared with placebo; no adverse effects were recorded. A further study in patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis of the hand joints showed a reduction in pain (NPRS) and an improvement in function and in quality-of-life parameters.
Arnica montana extract
Extract of arnica flowers reduces the perception of pain through its action on inflammatory mediators and helps to reduce the formation of swelling. In a randomized, double-blind study in patients with osteoarthritis of the hand, the efficacy of topical arnica extract was comparable to that of 5% ibuprofen gel, with a similar incidence of adverse effects. An open-label multicentre study in gonarthrosis demonstrated a significant reduction in pain and an improvement in function (WOMAC index).
Menthol
When applied topically, menthol produces a sensation of cooling and acts analgesically through the TRPM8 receptor in the nervous system. This is a rapid, rather short-lived analgesic effect, suitable as a complement to the other active components.
The combination of CBD, arnica and menthol
The efficacy of the combination of CBD, Arnica montana extract and menthol in a patch (composition identical to ALGYL CBD) was investigated in an open-label clinical study of 24-hour topical application in patients aged 18–65 years with joint or muscle pain. The results showed a significant reduction in pain and swelling at the affected site, and mobility as well as quality-of-life indicators improved; the effect was perceptible even after removal of the patch and lasted on average more than 5 days.
Field of use and application
It relieves muscle and joint pain, for example in sports injuries and inflammatory joint diseases. The patch is applied to clean, dry skin at the site to be treated, once daily, for a maximum of 24 hours; it is not applied to broken or irritated skin. In order to avoid interactions, medicines should be taken approximately two hours apart. No adverse effects are known when the product is used as directed. Contraindications: hypersensitivity and/or allergy to any of the components. Pack size: 8 patches.
The text is of a professional nature and is intended for healthcare professionals; it does not replace the current instructions for use (IFU) or individual clinical judgement. Scientific editorial team, Edukafarm.