FIBROMYALGIA SYNDROME
Numerous anecdotal reports indicate that CBD oil helps relieve fibromyalgia pain. In the first of two articles on the subject, we take a look at the disease fibromyalgia and some facts sufferers should know before trying CBD.
Today we are going to analyze the disease. What exactly is fibromyalgia syndrome?
FIBROMYALGIA: A HARD BLOW TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE
Fibromyalgia is a syndrome: a set of symptoms that when present constantly and at the same time, indicate the presence or susceptibility of a certain disease. In the case of fibromyalgia, these are extreme fatigue, body pain, anxiety or depression, and a lowered pain threshold/presence of tender points.
C.GENERAL CONCEPTS
These symptoms come from a very debilitating disease that makes the patient’s day-to-day life almost impossible. Unfortunately, this disease is the second most common musculoskeletal disorder in the EU, after osteoarthritis.
In addition to the symptoms described above, sufferers may also experience an inability to concentrate or retain information (known as “fibro fog”), headaches, IBS, mood swings, and increased joint stiffness.
QWHAT CAUSES FIBROMYALGIA
Unfortunately, the causes of fibromyalgia are unknown – making it very difficult to treat. In addition, women are ten times more likely to develop this disease than men – and most of those affected are women between the ages of 25 and 60.
Although the cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, certain patterns do occur. For example, it has been found that genetics could play an important role, since this disease seems to run in certain families. It is also known that some diseases can aggravate the onset of fibromyalgia, and that it is linked to PTSD.
Because its cause is unknown, most treatments involve a combination of medications and alternative therapies, such as massage and strengthening exercises. All fibromyalgia treatments focus on treating the symptoms, and because they are many and varied, treatment often varies from person to person.
CBD AND FIBROMYALGIA
One alternative treatment that is gaining a lot of popularity thanks to anecdotal reports, is CBD and CBD oil. CBD is one of the non-psychoactive cannabinoids in cannabis and hemp, and is currently being investigated for its medicinal applications (mainly due to mounting anecdotal evidence). However, there is very little research focused on CBD and its effect on fibromyalgia and therefore CBD is not considered a medicine.
All available anecdotal evidence states that CBD reduces the perception of pain, and can help with symptoms such as IBS.
For fibromyalgia sufferers who are in pain throughout the day, anecdotal evidence is enough to make them want to try CBD. Luckily, CBD is legal in the EU, and is considered safe. However, it must be emphasized that CBD is not classified as a medicine, and is only used as a health supplement.
For fibromyalgia sufferers considering CBD, we’ve put together a list of 5 things you need to know, which will be posted on our blog next week.
