Could Cannabis Be the Best Treatment Option for Fibromyalgia?

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From learngreenflower.com

Could Cannabis Be the Best Treatment Option for Fibromyalgia?

By Johnny Green on November 2, 2016

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The endocannabinoid system is one of the great frontiers of medicine today
– a game-changer for what we know about modern health.

For those who suffer from fibromyalgia, every day can be a struggle. Tasks that once seemed routine now require a lot more effort, all while fighting through tremendous pain.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder involving widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and tenderness in localized areas. The impact on quality of life can be devastating.

Other symptoms can include problems sleeping, muscle stiffness, numbness, and difficulty focusing or remembering things.

An estimated 5 million adults suffer from fibromyalgia, however other sources suggest the number is more than twice that. Statistics are varied and unreliable simply because this illness is so difficult to diagnose.

Moreover, the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that women are 7 times as likely to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia as men and that the most common age range of diagnosis is middle age, although it can also occur in children.

Could cannabis really help treat the symptoms of this painful illness? According to cannabis consumers who also have fibromyalgia, the answer is an astounding YES.

How can cannabis help?

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Doctors and scientists are now starting to understand that many chronic pain disorders stem from an imbalance in the ECS.

Essentially, fibromyalgia is a disorder of the central nervous system, causing abnormalities around pain signals. The result is chronic pain, which also happens to be the number one reason why people use medicinal cannabis.

Fibromyalgia is also frequently associated with other conditions for which cannabis is a proven form of treatment such as anxiety, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, and arthritis. It can also lead to issues such as headaches, digestive trouble, fatigue, insomnia, and more. Cannabis can help with all of these things.

A study from 2011 looked at 56 patients suffering from fibromyalgia, with half of them consuming cannabis, and half of them refraining.
At the conclusion of the study, researchers found that 'the use of cannabis was associated with beneficial effects on some fibromyalgia symptoms.'

The authors of the study also suggested that more research was needed to better understand how cannabis can help here, which is a great suggestion. But this doesn’t mean fibromyalgia patients should avoid cannabis until those studies are completed. Quite the contrary.

There is no known cure for fibromyalgia. Patients suffering from fibromyalgia need to find a safe medicine that effectively helps them with their pain and mental state. Cannabis is that medicine.

As with all cases, it will take a bit of trial and error to find the cannabis regimen that works best for you. You’ll want to experiment with things like dose, strain, and intake method.

Why cannabis seems be the most effective treatment

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Clinical endocannabinoid deficiency (CEDC) is the term given to a phenomenon reported in a number of patients suffering from certain chronic illnesses where endocannabinoid (EC) levels are found to be persistently lower than in healthy controls. In other words, low EC levels could be the cause of the chronic illnesses, rather than a symptom.

Although we still have a lot to learn about fibromyalgia, the characteristics of this ailment point toward clinical endocannabinoid deficiency, according to prominent neurologist and pharmacologist Dr. Ethan Russo.

This makes a lot of sense when you consider the fact that our endocannabinoid system’s role is to keep almost all of our bodies processes in balance. When that endocannabinoid system is not functioning properly due to endocannabinoid deficiency any number of things can go wrong, which would explain ailments such as fibromyalgia, migraines, and irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease – ailments which are very difficult to treat with other medications.

Cannabis is one of the ultimate ways to target the endocannabinoid system because the compounds in this plant mimic the compounds our bodies are supposed to produce naturally, keeping this system running smoothly. It’s literally the perfect supplement.

You can also take care of your endocannabinoid system through optimizing your nutrition intake and regular exercise.

If you suffer from fybromyalgia, you should give a strong consideration to adding cannabis to your treatment strategy if you haven't already.

https://www.learngreenflower.com/articles/273/cannabis-is-a-great-treatment-option-for-fibromyalgia
 

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