Can CBD Help Fibromyalgia?
If you or a loved one experiences fibromyalgia, you are no stranger to chronic pain, and the issues it can cause. Since cannabidiol, or CBD, has become popular in recent years, many wonder whether CBD can help fibromyalgia.
CBD is made from cannabis, but lacks the psychoactive components of THC. People use CBD to reduce inflammation and pain, relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression, and find sleep more easily, among a number of other things. It is no wonder CBD is a candidate for use for those suffering from fibromyalgia.
What Is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is an illness characterized by chronic, widespread pain, and sensitivity to touch. Medical professionals do not know the exact cause of fibromyalgia. Research suggests fibromyalgia is related to the nervous system, rather than autoimmunity or inflammation.
The illness is difficult to diagnose because there is no test for it. Rather, patients and their rheumatologists must discuss symptoms, and rule out other conditions to reach a fibromyalgia diagnosis.
Fibromyalgia affects about two percent of adults, most of which are women. The illness usually appears in adulthood, but that is not always the case.
What Are the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia?
Along with chronic pain, there are several other symptoms of fibromyalgia.
- Stiff joints and body
- Chronic fatigue and exhaustion
- Anxiety, depression, and mood disorders
- Difficulty sleeping
- Cognitive issues like difficulty with memory and concentration
- Headaches and migraines
- Overactive or irritable bladder
- Digestive issues like IBS and GERD
- TMJ (jaw pain, clicking, and ringing ears)
- POTS (postural tachycardia syndrome)
Clearly, fibromyalgia encompasses more than debilitating chronic pain.
Can CBD Help Fibromyalgia?
CBD can be used to help ease symptoms of fibromyalgia. CBD is known to relieve many difficult symptoms that come along with having fibromyalgia.
Additionally, CBD is a non-addictive compound, so many sufferers prefer to use CBD over prescription pain medication. Due to the crisis of opioid addiction, many patients seek alternative treatments, like CBD.
How Does CBD for Fibromyalgia Work?
Research is slow and incomplete when it comes to CBD and fibromyalgia. Still, researchers have conducted small studies around the world, gathering evidence regarding CBD’s effect on fibromyalgia.
- CBD reduces pain throughout the body, the number one symptom associated with fibromyalgia. CBD likely interrupts the pain signals sent to the brain by binding to CB2 cannabinoid receptors within the endocannabinoid system. The chronic pain caused by fibromyalgia is responsible for many of the illness’s other negative symptoms.
- While fibromyalgia is not an inflammatory illness, it does cause inflammation of the brain. CBD can help reduce inflammation, leading to less brain fog.
- Research suggests that CBD may stimulate the brain’s ability to repair its own cells, which can improve cognitive function.
- CBD can induce drowsiness, making it easier for fibromyalgia sufferers who experience insomnia to fall asleep.
- It is unclear exactly how CBD decreases anxiety, only that it does. Scientists believe that CBD affects the brain’s serotonin levels, which play a major role in mood. If this is the case, CBD acts in a similar way to antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications.
- Little research has been done on CBD and digestion, but the same CB2 cannabinoid receptors that exist in the brain also exist in the digestive system. CBD can, therefore, likely reduce pain and inflammation in the gut that contributes to IBS and other painful digestive illnesses.
While more research needs to be conducted, it is clear that CBD has many properties that can relieve the negative symptoms associated with fibromyalgia.
How to Use CBD for Fibromyalgia
CBD is available in many forms. Patients who consume medical cannabis can opt for a product that is rich in CBD. The quickest way to gain the positive effects of CBD-heavy medical cannabis is to smoke or vape it by inhaling it into the lungs. Or, cannabis with CBD can be made into an edible treat to avoid inhaling the substance into the lungs. However, many want to avoid cannabis and the psychoactive THC compound that comes with it.
For those who want to treat fibromyalgia with CBD, without the psychoactive effects of THC, there are plenty of options. Consider CBD oil extracts, CBD-infused topical creams, or edible CBD candies.
Additionally, there are CBD products on the market that are designed to promote relaxation and better sleep, improving the quality of life for those suffering from fibromyalgia. These include CBD-infused bath bombs, candles, and even a CBD pillow!
CBD Pillows are infused with millions of tiny CBD capsules that burst throughout the night, allowing microdoses of CBD to absorb into a sleeper’s skin and hair. The result is calmer, deeper sleep.
Try our CBD Pillow for yourself to see if it helps you feel relaxed and less anxious to fall into a deep, restful slumber.