Uses of CBD and How It Can Benefit People with Fibromyalgia

Cannabidiol, or commonly referred to as CBD is an oil extract derived from cannabis. Different studies have shown that CBD may benefit people who have fibromyalgia.

What is fibromyalgia? It is referred to as a condition where the patient may be suffering from chronic pain. According to numerous studies, CBD can be beneficial when it comes to helping relieve pain and inflammation, which is why more studies and researches are being conducted to check on its effects further. While there may still be limited evidence documented on CBD and fibromyalgia, a 2020 document has shown that cannabis has been proven to have a positive effect on people with fibromyalgia.

While the response is overwhelming and CBD has shown promising results, more studies are needed to be done to prove that it is safe and affected. Based on the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approvals, CBD is not yet included in the list of accredited fibromyalgia and pain treatment options. Despite the lack of evidence, CBD continues to grow in popularity and many people have started to explore using this option for pain management. This article will talk about the different effects of CBD, how it can be beneficial to people with the said condition, its effectiveness, alongside other side effects if any.

Cannabis and CBD – Are They The Same?

There’s a long explanation for this, but technically speaking, CBD isn’t the same with cannabis. The cannabis plant contains more than 100 types of cannabinoids. Cannabis also contains the compound THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is the one responsible for the “high” effects people experience with typical marijuana or cannabis.

On the other hand, CBD comes from hemp, a type of cannabis. Legally, CBD contains less than 0.3% THC content. This leads us to the conclusion that concentrated and unadulterated CBD oil can be much more beneficial without having the suffer from the risks compared to medical cannabis.

CBD and Fibromyalgia – How Does It Work?

As of the moment, researchers have no definite answers as to why the said compound is said to reduce some symptoms of fibromyalgia. This is why they can’t differentiate why some people greatly benefit from it, and some others do not seem to be affected by it. As of the moment, more researchers are spending time testing out various theories.

CBD provides pain relief, and it has been said that it could be the effect of CBD on the brain’s pain receptors. One theory has mentioned that CBD is responsible for interrupting the nerve pathways towards the brain, one that signals the brain from feeling pain and delivering it to different parts of the body. Different types of cannabinoids, CBD included, are said to attach to a CB2 receptor, which they believe plays a significant role when it comes to inflammation and pain management.

Once CBD is introduced to the body, it may attach itself to one of the CB2 receptors, or, it could signal the body to produce natural cannabinoids that will eventually attach to these receptors. This action alone is responsible for helping reduce inflammation and pain. Way back in 2016, a study has been conducted showing that lowered amounts of endocannabinoid (natural cannabinoids) in the body may be one of the reasons behind chronic pain symptoms, which includes both fibromyalgia and extreme migraines.

CBD is then used to help correct this deficiency, which is probably one of the reasons why the said compound is effective in helping alleviate chronic pain. Again, there is still little research on the subject, with more studies that need to be conducted to help prove their theories and to have a better understanding of how the process completely works. To find out the latest news about fibromyalgia see ‘latest news on fibromyalgia 2021‘.

The Effectiveness of CBD

Today, scientists are now spending time working on research and finding out different treatment methods with the use of CBD. Most studies used to focus on medical cannabis, but more modern studies now include CBD to help find the missing link and to have a better understanding of how the compound works inside the human body.

National Centres for Complementary & Integrative Health suggests that there’s a little bit of evidence proving that CBD could help with chronic pain. Some recent 2020 studies from review trusted Source has shown that CBD can help with pain relief, sleep improvement, and, minimize refractory pain, and inflammation. This has been shown to have an effect on people who are experiencing different conditions that may be related to pain such as migraine, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome.