What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia syndrome is a chronic health condition which manifest via pain and a number of other symptoms thought to be triggered by overactive nerves. The symptoms of this disease can fluctuate in intensity and frequency, and often interfere with daily activities which can be extremely severe and debilitating in some instances. Some symptoms of fibromyalgia incude: Diffuse tenderness – sensitive to touch or pressure, Sleep disturbances and unrefreshed sleep, Exhaustion and fatigue, Brain fog – problems with thinking or memory, Mood problems like depression / anxiety, Headaches
Many fibro patients have also reported cases of conditions including: Digestive problems like IBS and GERD, Irritable or overactive bladder, Pelvic pain, Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ). It should be noted that Fibromyalgia can occur in men but it’s most common in women and the symptoms most often appear as a young adult, but onset can happen at any age.
This disease can make patients to feel depressed, anxious, angry, and isolated as even just a simple handshake or hug can cause extreme discomfort and pain which might be very difficult for the family and loved ones to understand that it is not as simple as getting up and moving.
The Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia
Diagnosing fibromyalgia can be very difficult because the main symptom is chronic widespread pain which cannot be detected with a blood test, an x-ray, a CT-scan, an MRI or even a tissue sample. Another problem is that such clinical tests necessitate the ruling out any a number of other conditions with similar symptoms, such as HIV, AIDS, Lyme disease, certain types of cancer, degenerative diseases of the spine, and hypothyroidism. This disease can also diagnose through sleep studies and psychological exams which can take many years to get an accurate diagnosis. Doctors rely on the guidelines of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) when diagnosing fibromyalgia which requires that a patient must have widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body for at least three months, and tenderness of pain should be at least 11 of the 18 specified tender points when pressure is applied.
Treating Fibromyalgia Symptoms with Medical Marijuana
One of the most comprehensive studies of recent research on the health effects of marijuana was released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, released which included relevant scientific research published since 1999. This research revealed moderate evidence suggesting that cannabinoids can improve short-term sleep outcomes in patients with sleep disturbance triggered by obstructive sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, or MS.
Dr. Ethan Russo came out with the idea of clinical endocannabinoid deficiency (CECD) in 2004 which suggested that deficient cannabinoid levels may be the underlying cause of numerous conditions, such as fibromyalgia, and may be suitably treated with cannabinoid-based or marijuana infused medicines . it should be noted that many patients prefer medicating with marijuana over pharmaceutical drugs due to its recognized potential health benefits including fibromyalgia.
Russo’s initial findings were revisited ten years later and confirmed evidence that imbalances in the endocannabinoid system (ECS) play a great role in fibromyalgia, IBS, and a growing list of other medical conditions.
Conclusion
However, more scientific research is still needed on medical marijuana as a potential treatment for fibromyalgia symptoms, forcing patients to rely on their own painstaking trial and error. The good news is that no one has overdosed directly on marijuana. Determining how much and how often a patient should microdose will require some patience and experimentation.
