Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes pain all over the body and is believed to affect up to two million people in the UK. An estimated 80 to 90% of sufferers are women. In addition to full-body musculoskeletal pain, fibromyalgia’s most persistent complaints are fatigue and the ‘Fibro Fog’, an uncomfortable fuzzy feeling, punctuated with memory lapses and difficulty concentrating. Sufferers complain of sleep and mood issues too.
What Causes It?
The exact cause is unknown but it’s thought to be related to abnormal levels of certain chemicals in the brain and changes in the way the central nervous system – the brain, spinal cord, and nerves – processes pain messages carried around the body. The NHS says that some people are more likely to develop fibromyalgia because of genes inherited from their parents but the condition can also be triggered by a physically or emotionally upsetting event like an injury or a death of a loved one.
How Does Medical Cannabis Help With Fibromyalgia?
Dr. Ethan Russo, a pioneer in the science behind cannabinoid wellness and founder of Credo Science, a new company devoted to the research and development of technologies within the medical and cannabis industries, has hypothesised that fibromyalgia could be an expression of an endocannabinoid deficiency, which can be treated by taking cannabinoids like CBD and THC.
A new medical cannabis study led by Italian scientists has proven that cannabis is an effective treatment for treating Fibromyalgia’s array of debilitating symptoms, notably depression. This year, at the Luigi Sacco University Hospital in Milan, 102 patients were given two tinctures made with olive oil and two pharmaceutical-grade flowers. Both contained CBD and THC, with one containing more of the THC psychoactive compound.
The participants, mostly women with an average age of 52, were advised to take two doses of 10-30 drops each day – the balanced dose in the morning and the THC-rich formulation in the evening. THC encourages sleep and appears to be a more effective painkiller but its psychoactive effect means that taking it during the day is not recommended.
The study participants could, if they wished, take up to 120 drops per day, starting with as little as 4mg THC and 2mg CBD across the two doses, and up to 27mg THC and 8mg CBD, with most of the THC taken at night.
The study focused on treating refractory patients – those on medications but yet to find relief – and just under half of the patients were taking two other drugs, while nearly a third took at least three. These sedatives included opioids, anti-convulsants, nerve blockers, and anti-depressants.
After six months of treatment, between one-third and one-half of the study participants experienced notable benefits in their sleep, anxiety, depression, and pain symptoms.
Around 50% of the patients who remained in the study for the six months reported improvements in depression associated with the illness, while just over 42% soothed their anxiety. Another 44% of patients experienced a significant improvement in the quality of their sleep, and 33% of patients had improved Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire Revised (FIQR) scores, a questionnaire that measures the overall impact of the illness.
Some patients, however, experienced clinical worsening of their fatigue, indicating that cannabis may not work for those already struggling with extreme exhaustion. Finally, almost half of the patients were able to reduce their other drug use with 21% stopping their other medications entirely.
A separate study in China, cited by Dr. Ginevra Liptan, one of the few clinical specialists in the world to focus solely on fibromyalgia, found that excessive fight-or-flight nervous system signals are responsible for poorly functioning mitochondria, the furnaces that take nutrients and produce energy molecules in our cells, and are key contributors to the fatigue and fog in fibromyalgia. It is possible that CBD might have energy-boosting effects for our mitochondria, resulting in long-term benefits to lessen brain fog and improve brain function.
What Other Remedies Are There?
A new study undertaken by researchers in Florence and published in the journal Nutrients found that 40% of Fibromyalgia sufferers were reported to be Vitamin D deficient and a placebo-controlled study using a high dose of the vitamin found a significant reduction in fibromyalgia symptoms in the treatment group. Magnesium and iron supplements are showing similar results too.
Another study has shown that the use of therapy dogs can help manage the physical and mental health of people suffering from fibromyalgia. The Purina Institute and the Mayo Clinic have teamed up in a study, which found that a positive emotional-physiological state was achieved after a single session with a therapy dog. Patients in the treatment group were in a more positive emotional-physiological state as a result of the animal-assisted activity session compared to the control group. People who interacted with therapy dogs saw their oxytocin levels increase significantly, while their heart rates decreased.
Dr Ginevra Liptan and nutrition consultant Anna Walker suggest simple dietary changes that can help relieve fibromyalgia symptoms in a book called The Fibro Food Formula: A Real-Life Approach to Fibromyalgia Relief.
Finally, heat and Epsom salt baths are said to relieve discomfort, particularly during winter.
Further Reading
How and where to safely buy RSO medical cannabis oil online
Introduction to Medical Cannabis
Help and Advice
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Disclaimer: Please note that whilst we consider ourselves subject matter experts regarding Medical Cannabis, we are not medical professionals. We are a Medical Cannabis information resource, educating and helping those in need. Whilst we are very strong believers in the benefits of Medical Cannabis, there is still limited evidence that Medical Cannabis can treat/cure all the illnesses we discuss on our website. We recommend you do as much research as possible, and where practical seek professional medical advice before proceeding with Medical Cannabis oil.