Fibromyalgia and medical cannabis
Hello steemit! This post is dedicated to answer a question @firststeps brought to my attention. What would you suggest for managing symptoms of pain (fibromyalgia) and anxiety? There was also mention of not wanting to smoke marijuana
Let me start by explaining a little bit about what is fibromyalgia and what causes it?
What is fibromyalgia?
A chronic disorder that creates widespread muscle and bone pain, fatigue and tenderness in localized areas. I'd like to think that fibromyalgia is a diagnosis Doctor's give because they don't know what else is wrong and a lot of the times I explain fibromyalgia as generalized inflammation of the body.
What causes fibromyalgia?
It is still unsure what exactly causes it but health care researches have found that it might deal with how your brain and spinal cord process pain signals from your nerves. Contributing factors could be if you already have a mood disorder, like anxiety or depression, also if you have been physically or emotionally abused, if you suffer from PTSD, if you don't exercise regularly, if your diet is off balance and too high in sugars. Symptoms include: Muscle pain, low pain threshold, extreme fatigue, troubles concentrating or remembering, insomnia or sleep issues, feeling nervous, worried or depressed.
Can Cannabis Help Symptoms of Fibromyalgia?
Absolutely!
An article in leafly.com stated that Dr. Ethan Russo theorizes that fibromyalgia could be related to a Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency. This means if you introduce certain cannabinoids in your blood stream there might be a regulation that could relief symptoms. Cannabis also known as marijuana has two main cannabinoids called THC and CBD.
THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)
This cannabinoid is responsible for the psychoactive effects widely know as the "High" feeling. THC is also responsible for pain relief, sleep issues, like insomnia, nausea and appetite stimulation.
CBD ( Cannabidiol)
This cannabinoid is non psychoactive, meaning it does not get you "high". CBD reliefs symptoms like anxiety, depression and inflammation .
I don't want to smoke Marijuana....
That is okay! don't despair, there are many different forms of consuming marijuana without having to smoke it. You can vaporize and ingest it in forms like oils, edibles, creams and suppositories.
I always suggest to my patients that if they need instant relief, to better vaporize, because it takes effects within 5 to 10 minutes and it lasts for about 2-4 hours. Taking oils or edibles on the other hand takes a lot longer for the medication to start taking effect, usually 1-2 hours, but it lasts you for about 6 to 8 hours. Also oils are easier to dose, edibles are more difficult
What strains of marijuana should I use for fibromyalgia and anxiety?
I like to recommend a high CBD oil taken under the tongue for morning use. This strain will tackle the anxiety and inflammation occurring in the body and the oil will give long lasting effects throughout the day.
At night time I suggest taking a high THC oil(Indica) 1-2 hours before going to sleep. This strain will tackle s sleep issues, as well as pain control. If you get a good night sleep, your body gets proper regeneration at night so the next day's anxiety should be more tolerable.
For emergencies and if you need instant relief from pain and anxiety, vaporize a dried flower of a 1:1 ratio of THC to CBD (Sativa for day time/ Indica for Evenings)
@askmayra
I hope this post was informative and useful. steemit family don't forget to post your questions about Wellness, Nutrition, Cannabis and Live Blood Analysis I will give it my all to answer them and make it worth your while. I will make a full post to answer each one of your questions. My main purpose is to help you, guide you and make your life healthier. The unrelated posts will be meant for personal reasons but I do hope they still serve you as inspiration or examples of what not to do.