CBD and fibromyalgia

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The cannabidiol (CBD) exerts a modulatory action on the endocannabinoid system, thus helping both to reduce the perception of pain and to better manage the sensation of anxiety, contributing to the overall well-being of those suffering from fibromyalgia.

What is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by widespread chronic pain, increased sensitivity to pain (hyperalgesia), sensory hyperreactivity, and other systemic symptoms such as cognitive dysfunction, sleep disturbances, anxiety, chronic fatigue, and depression, in the absence of any other well-defined organic disease.

In Italy, it is estimated to affect between two and three million people, mostly women of young and adult age.

"Fibromyalgia is the second most common form of rheumatism and is a very frequent condition in general medicine and rheumatology clinics, with a prevalence ranging from 2-3% up to 8%, and an incidence of about 7-11 new cases per year per 1,000 people," states Carlo Salvarani, Full Professor of Rheumatology at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in ainterview.

What are the symptoms of fibromyalgia?

Identifying and recognizing fibromyalgia is not easy, and the diagnostic boundaries are extremely blurred. In general, fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic pain, localized or widespread throughout the body. However, the symptoms that fibromyalgia can cause are numerous, and besides chronic pain, the most commonly reported are:

Fatigue or chronic tiredness
Sleep disorders
Headache (head pain)
Joint pain and muscle tension
Anxiety
Maxillary/mandibular tension
Blurred view
Tingling
Tinnitus
Difficulty concentrating,
Gastrointestinal disorders
Tachycardia
Cramps affecting the lower limbs

What are the causes of fibromyalgia?

Despite the great advances in scientific research in recent decades, the causes of fibromyalgia are still unknown today. It is believed that many factors contribute to its onset: genetic, biochemical, environmental, and psychological.

Due to the wide variety of symptoms, diagnosing fibromyalgia is not simple. The patient often consults numerous specialists in various fields (from orthopedics to neurology), going through a very long process that can lead to the correct diagnosis even after years. In the end, a personalized treatment is reached, which often does not involve only pharmacological therapy. The patient affected by fibromyalgia embarks on the path to recovery thanks to a combined approach of medication, psychotherapy, physical exercise, and symptom management. It is precisely in addressing the symptoms of fibromyalgia that the properties of cannabis compounds (particularly CBD) prove to be most useful.

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Fibromyalgia and the endocannabinoid system

The systematic complex of causes of fibromyalgia is not yet known. Certainly, there is no single triggering factor capable of inducing this disease, but an alteration has often been noticed in the mechanisms by which our body generates the sensation of pain, which turns out to be amplified. In the human body, there is the endocannabinoid system, composed of molecules (endocannabinoids) and CB1 and CB2 receptors present both in the central nervous system and the immune system. The endocannabinoid system is involved in some key processes of our body, including the regulation of pain sensations and inflammatory states. Some studies have hypothesized that the lack of endocannabinoid activity or a dysfunction of the endocannabinoid system is at the root of the process leading to the development of fibromyalgia, but this is not yet a confirmed fact.

Why can CBD and the endocannabinoid system be useful for fibromyalgia?

When an imbalance or disruption occurs in our body, the modulation provided by cannabidiol (CBD) - which acts, for example, on the immune system or on an inflammatory process - tends to restore homeostasis, the original physiological balance. Cannabidiol therefore indirectly (CB1 receptors) and directly (CB2 receptors) modulates an alteration of the cannabinoid system caused by diseases or trauma, helping, among the various benefits it has been shown to provide, to reduce the sensation of pain.

Additionally, by interacting with the GABAergic and serotonergic systems, it reduces anxiety and depressive states that often accompany those suffering from this condition.

Endocannabinoids also act by binding to CB1 and CB2 receptors; CB1 receptors are predominantly expressed in the central nervous system and mediate the pain-relieving action, while CB2 receptors are mainly found on immune system cells and mediate the anti-inflammatory action

Similarly, the analgesic potential of the active ingredients in cannabis - cannabinoids - derives from their action on CB1 receptors. Currently, there are two cannabinoids that have been shown to have clinically relevant effects: delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). The two main active ingredients of the cannabis plant act differently, with different results, and both are promising for pain management, but unlike CBD, THC also has a psychotropic effect that limits its use.

CBD and fibromyalgia: what studies say

There is no shortage of evidence showing how effective cannabis can be in addressing the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Clinical studies report a clear improvement in patients' conditions, to the point where, in full agreement with their treating physicians, they discontinue their usual drug therapy in favor of using the active ingredients of cannabis. Moreover, research, articles, and studies on cannabis and pain have now provided solid evidence. Cannabis is successfully used to treat sleep disorders or rheumatic pain, becoming one of the first choices for people suffering from chronic pain.

The most recent review of studies is from 2021 and, after careful selection, identified 22 studies conducted with valid methods. By analyzing their results, it was possible to gain a clearer understanding of the current state of knowledge on the effectiveness of cannabinoids for fibromyalgia. Some of these studies indicate that the use of cannabinoids involves very limited side effects when used for the treatment of fibromyalgia, and they can help alleviate some common and debilitating symptoms associated with the disease.

Among these is also the observational study conducted between 2015 and 2017 by a team from the Rheumatology Department of the Rabin Medical Center, an Israeli institution particularly active in medical cannabis research. The study, published in 2019, was conducted on 367 patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia, with a follow-up period of six months.

The therapeutic effect of cannabinoids manifested as a subjective sensation of pain relief and a general improvement in quality of life. For example, at the beginning of the experiment, as many as 196 participants reported suffering from sleep disorders. At the same time, 125 patients reported suffering from depressive symptoms. At the end of the trial, sleep disorders had lessened for 144 patients and had even disappeared in 26 cases. Depressive symptoms improved for 101 out of 125 patients. In general, the majority of participants showed an improvement from "moderate" to "significant," particularly regarding the intensity of perceived pain. The researchers concluded that medical cannabis could be a safe and effective alternative for treating fibromyalgia symptoms.

is interesting to note that the Emilia-Romagna Region has also issued a comprehensive document on the pathology, the guidelines for "Diagnosis and treatment of fibromyalgia," developed with the aim of providing a definition and framework of the disease and indicating defined and appropriate intervention pathways. The guidelines also include the Cannabis.

“Towards the future - states Daniele Conti, director of AMRER Onlus, Rheumatic Patients Association Emilia Romagna - the perspective that the Working Group wants to propose with the document is aimed at promoting and encouraging research, particularly on cannabinoids and their interactions with nutrition; the only concrete way to adequately respond to the needs of patients, countering the extreme proliferation of ‘phantom’ treatments that harm the health and wallets of people with fibromyalgia."

Which CBD to use for fibromyalgia?

The products such as the cannabidiol oils (CBD), thanks to their excellent safety profile, are one of the options to ensure a better daily life for those affected by fibromyalgia. The benefits of such products are reported by two-thirds of the 2701 patients with fibromyalgia who participated in the survey by the Anesthesiology Department of the University of Michigan. In addition to the "practical" results reported by the patients, the high number of participants who declared regular use of CBD products, including those affected by fibromyalgia, was striking. Among the reasons driving patients to use cannabidiol products, the need to address a condition of chronic pain stands out. While research on fibromyalgia continues, cannabis and its active ingredients allow patients to be supported along a health journey, until normal well-being is restored.

The benefits of cannabidiol for fibromyalgia

As we have said, cannabidiol acts on our body in a broad spectrum, with mechanisms that tend to regulate imbalances in our vital functions. Its benefits on fibromyalgia can be attributed to three fundamental actions:

Anti-inflammatory action

There are several studies that have shown that CBD reduces the chronic pain, inflammatory pain and neuropathic pain. In a study on joint pain, the direct correlation between CBD and the Endocannabinoid System and the resulting analgesic and pain-relieving properties of cannabidiol is demonstrated. Various scientific studies have investigated the effectiveness of cannabidiol on many inflammatory conditions, such as osteoarthritis. It has been shown that the use of CBD helps protect the joints against severe damage and to reduce inflammation and it could be a valid natural option for various situations characterized by inflammatory pain.

Improvement action on sleep quality

The cannabidiol, thanks to its neuroprotective potential based on the combination of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, could prove useful in combating insomnia. The study published in 2017 "Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Sleep: a Review of the Literature" states that "preliminary research on cannabis and insomnia suggests that cannabidiol (CBD) may have a beneficial potential for the treatment of insomnia." Research conducted at National Taiwan University in Taipei, on the other hand, provides evidence of how CBD can directly influence the night cycle, preventing the suppression of REM sleep, in this case in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Anxiolytic action

Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated the ability of CBD to counteract anxiety disorders, thanks to its interaction with GABA and serotonin receptors, an important neurotransmitter that regulates various functions, such as mood, sleep, and emotions. In 2015, a review of studies conducted up to that point aimed at verifying the effects of CBD in treating anxiety states was published in the journal Neurotherapeutics. The results confirm the initial hypothesis, namely that CBD may be effective in reducing anxiety states. The review examined 49 preclinical, clinical, and epidemiological studies and also included research conducted with neuroimaging techniques (technologies that allow the study of brain metabolism).

From the review, curated by Esther M. Blessing, Maria M. Steenkamp, Jorge Manzanares, and Charles R. Marmar of the New York School of Medicine, it emerged that preclinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of CBD in reducing anxiety caused by many disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and many others.

How much CBD to use for fibromyalgia?

For fibromyalgia, we recommend starting with 6 drops a day, 3 in the morning and 3 in the evening for ten consecutive days. After this period, it is possible to increase gradually depending on the effects perceived on your body.

The amount of CBD to apply is very personal. Navigating between mg and drops can be tricky, you can learn more about the topic on our dosage page, that also features a custom calculator.

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