CBD for Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a disease that has researchers stumped and victims searching far and wide for any relief. With Fibromyalgia, you can experience pain anywhere on your body at any intensity at any time. From narcotics to physical therapy, people are looking for ways to help treat this painful disease. Recently there has been a big buzz in the fibromyalgia community about this Cannabidiol (CBD) solution, which has been showing promise in Fibromyalgia relief.

About Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a common chronic disorder that leaves people with pain in some parts or all over their body. Researchers are stumped as to why this disease occurs as well as how to cure it, but we are getting closer and closer in CBD research to prove its pain relieving properties.

• Cognitive and memory issues
• Trouble sleeping
• Morning stiffness
• Sensitivity to loud noises or bright lights
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Painful menstrual periods
• Numbness or tingling of the extremities
• Restless legs syndrome
• Temperature sensitivity
• Headaches

Fibromyalgia affects 2-4% of the adult U.S population, which in people numbers is 6-12 million people who are at least 18 years old. Something that is a special treat for the ladies, 80-90% of patients with fibromyalgia are women for entirely unknown reasons. Because of the chronic pain in the body and fatigue fibromyalgia brings, it is often associated with arthritis. But it is important to note that it isn’t arthritis at all because it doesn’t cause inflammation in the joints. Clumping it with arthritis can make treatment even harder, especially considering there are some doctors unfamiliar with the disease and its treatments.

More Than Body Pain

When people are suffering from fibromyalgia or any chronic physical pain, their mental health suffers as well. Can you imagine? Being in pain all day, every day? Even if it isn’t that severe, any pain coming about for no reason can put a damper on your day. Imagine randomly stubbing your toe on the sharpest corner in existence ten times a day, how much do you think you could handle?

You may only have lost 40% of your physical functioning (which is still a whole lot of function to lose), but your mental health decreases by 67% with fibromyalgia. People suffering from this disorder are twice as likely to visit the hospital and are three times more likely to develop major depressive disorder.

Because of the impact this chronic disease has on your mental health, suicide rates are higher in patients with Fibromyalgia. Their mortality rate is similar to the rest of the population, but their deaths come from the broken people who couldn’t handle the pain and depression anymore and couldn’t wait for a cure that might not come in their lifetime.

Causes of Fibromyalgia

We don’t know (yet!). That’s the short answer. However, we do know risk factors that are in common with patients, and that can be helpful when figuring out the origin of your disease.

• Being born a woman (Because you don’t go through enough pain through childbirth)
• Family History
• Stressful or traumatic events
• Illness
• Obesity
• Injuries from repetitive use on joints

How CBD Can Help With Fibromyalgia

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical found in the cannabis plant that has multiple health benefits with no “high” side effects. It interacts with the Endocannabinoid System (ECS), which is in charge of regulating your whole body. This also means it is in charge of your pain.

Though we have no idea where fibromyalgia comes from, we know it hurts and we want to find ways to stop it. With more and more openness about CBD and other hemp medications, we are finding that CBD is really great at helping with pain.

In two studies that held 72 participants, they tested the effectiveness of CBD and treating fibromyalgia. Though the results weren’t as clear as they would have liked, they did have confidence in the ability to reduce pain. Patients reported their pain reducing in intensity by 50% or more.

There is no evidence that narcotics work to treat fibromyalgia. Yet, people are still turning to this addictive medication that has harmful side effects. More and more people every year are dying from opioid overdose; so much so that if the incline increases the way it has been over the years we will see it jump from 33,000 to 96,000 deaths by 2027.

CBD helps your system regulate your body, but it doesn’t stop there. According to publications from scientists, CBD is a fast-acting antidepressant. Since patients with fibromyalgia suffer from depression as well as physical pain, they can find themselves taking multiple types of pills; all with different side effects that may bring on more pills to stop the side effects but can make the disease more severe… sounds exhausting! By taking hemp oil medications, you can knock-out several symptoms with one medication. Less strenuous and more cost-effective!

There are great topical CBD creams or gels that work wonderfully for pain. And for those hard to reach spots that you can’t get with lotion, there are pills, tinctures, and even peanut butter. You absorb more of a chemical through your skin than by taking something orally, so if your pain is severe topical treatments are more suggested. Check out our shop today to see the many options we have to help treat your fibromyalgia pain!