Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition in which the person can suffer from recurring pains in the muscles and bones, experience chronic fatigue and localized tenderness. The exact trigger of the condition is not yet clear and the symptoms can vary between individuals. Due to the variation in symptoms, fibromyalgia is time and again wrongly diagnosed as some other illness.
In the opinion of medical researchers and doctors, fibromyalgia can happen due to many causes from genetics, to infections, stress, autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, and trauma. Gender also plays a major role and it mostly occurs in women. Owing to the complexity of the condition, many medical professionals are unwilling to classify fibromyalgia as a separate disease. Still, the awareness about this condition is growing and many researchers are trying to find an effective treatment for the condition.
Together with lifestyle changes like diet, sleeping habits, exercise, and management of stress, people also use natural supplementation in their routine. The most commonly used natural supplementation is CBD oil.
Can CBD Oil Help Relieve Fibromyalgia Symptoms?
The endocannabinoid system present in our body acts as the “bridge” between the immune system and the nervous system. It embodies CB1 and CB2 receptors that are located in almost all parts of our body. The ECS controls many homeostatic functions like pain perception, mood regulation, memory, cognitive processes, immune response, and many more. The main function of this system is to maintain chemical balance in the body and let people perform normally.
CBD is a modulator of the ECS and can bind with the cannabinoid receptors to enhance immune activity, thereby ensuring wellbeing. CBD is capable of reducing pain by interrupting the pain signaling mechanism. In addition, CBD acts on the cannabinoid receptors to change the way our brain process pain. Studies suggest that CBD can be used as a good pain killer in conditions like multiple sclerosis, arthritis, migraines, and fibromyalgia.
People suffering from fibromyalgia also experience sleeping difficulties and at high doses, CBD can induce sedation and keep the user longer in deep sleep without interfering with the REM sleep stage. Therefore, using CBD for fibromyalgia might be helpful in many ways. However, no specific studies were conducted to find the effects of CBD on fibromyalgia and from an official point of view, research on using CBD for fibromyalgia is inconclusive.