Fibromyalgia is one of those painful chronic medical conditions that most people have never heard of. Even more alarming is that medical science still doesn’t have a handle on it. The result is that patients often struggle to find the pain relief they so desperately want. They become slaves of fibromyalgia and the discomfort it causes.
For growing numbers of fibromyalgia patients, medical cannabis is the answer. While no therapy enjoys a 100% success rate, there are enough patients swearing by cannabis’ efficacy that researchers should probably start looking into its ability to help relieve fibromyalgia pain.
Fibromyalgia: A Brief Explanation
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition with no known etiology. It used to be known as fibromyalgia syndrome because medical science believed it was not real. Rather, they thought the pain patients were feeling was all in their heads. Scientific research has since revealed that both the condition and the pain it causes are very real.
Patients experience widespread, systemic pain in the muscles and other soft tissues. The pain is accompanied by fatigue and interrupted sleep. Unfortunately, the three symptoms combined can create an unending cycle that never allows a patient to feel any better. Traditional treatments include a combination of medication, exercise, stress management, and cognitive-behavioral therapy.
When Other Medications Don’t Work
Physical exercise, stress management, and cognitive therapy can help quite a bit. But patients still rely on pain medications to some degree. What if those medications don’t work? What if a doctor recommends prescription opioids after OTC medicines do not provide enough relief?
Although I do not use medical cannabis myself, I do know people who would choose to take it over prescription opioids any day. I also know people who have used prescription opioids under the care of a doctor and were left regretting their decision to do so. For nearly all of them, medical cannabis probably would have been a welcome option.
Patients Need State Cards
Like anyone else wishing to use medical cannabis, fibromyalgia patients must obtain state-issued cards before they can purchase cannabis medicines. In Utah, BeehiveMed is an organization that helps patients navigate the application system. Utah is like most other states with medical cannabis programs in that they issue cards to adults diagnosed with qualifying conditions.
Possessing a valid card gives a patient the legal right to purchase and consume medical cannabis. But a card is not a prescription. And in all but a small number of states, it is up to patients to work with their doctors and pharmacists to figure out the best cannabis dosage and delivery method.
Think of It as a Journey
Lacking formal prescription instructions leaves medical cannabis patients in a position of having to try different things. Perhaps this is why BeehiveMed and other similar organizations refer to using medical cannabis as a journey. Simply put, it can take a while to figure out what actually works best.
For the fibromyalgia patient, what works today may not work equally well six months down the road. That is just the nature of the condition. So it is crucial that fibromyalgia patients remain in contact with their doctors and pharmacists to ensure medical cannabis continues to offer maximum relief. When adjustments need to be made, a pharmacist or doctor is the most qualified person to recommend appropriate changes.
Managing fibromyalgia pain with medical cannabis is possible. Patients are doing it even now. Combined with things like physical therapy and stress management, medical cannabis offers the desperately wanted relief so many fibromyalgia patients are looking for. If you live with fibromyalgia pain, have you considered medical cannabis?