Fibromyalgia can be a serious illness characterized by widespread musculoskeletal discomfort, along with issues related to sleep, memory and mood. It is estimated As many as one in twenty people worldwide suffers from some form of fibromyalgia. The condition is widespread and affects people of all ages. Unfortunately, there is no cure.
Medical professionals will use a variety of treatments to alleviate pain in patients depending on the severity and other issues. Patients are encouraged, if possible, to adopt lifestyle changes such as increased exercise. Other options include physical therapy and mental counseling.
Regarding common medications, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are sometimes prescribed, along with anti-seizure drugs and anti-depressants. Many fibromyalgia patients incorporate medical cannabis into their wellness strategy.
A team of health researchers based in Spain and affiliated with the Hospital ClÃnic de Barcelona recently conducted a study focused on the use of topically applied cannabidiol (CBD) by fibromyalgia (FM) patients. The study’s results were published in Journal of Cannabis Research.
The single-arm, pilot study involved 30 women with FM who also had clinically relevant localized comorbidities due to musculoskeletal pain, neuropathic pain, or cutaneous pain. Participants self-applied CBD-containing topical formulas available in the market to a painful site every 8 hours over a period of 12 weeks. The outcomes were evaluated at baseline, four weeks and twelve weeks. The researchers used nonparametric repeated-measures analysis, Monte Carlo Resampling (resampling), effect sizes, and minimally clinically important differences (MCID) as thresholds. The researchers described their method.
“At their 4- and 12-week-follow-up visits, participants reported that they had adhered to all the application instructions. There were no adverse effects or side-effects reported. Localized pain was significantly reduced at 4 weeks and sustained for 12 weeks (60 % achieving MCID). Functional capacity increased significantly. 50% of participants exceeded the MCID after 4 weeks. Researchers found.
In this single-arm exploratory study, “Topical application” of a CBD formulation was possible and associated with improvement in localized pain as well as functionality. The researchers wrote that they also found the results to be encouraging. This pilot study, despite its limitations due to the uncontrolled design of this study, provides methodological guidance and estimates for future randomized controlled studies on topical cannabinoids used in FM.
This latest study, conducted in Spain, builds on earlier research that focused on fibromyalgia. In the United Kingdom, a team comprised of investigators affiliated to various academic and medical institutions studied the topic.
This study showed that cannabis-based products are associated with improvements in short- to medium-term pain, anxiety and sleep as well as general quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia. Researchers published their findings about their findings. Clinical Rheumatology.
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