According to research published in Pain Practice, cannabis has a short-term positive impact on women with treatment-resistant fibromyalgia’s quality of life (QoL), specifically for pain, sleep, psychological, and physical concerns.
Pharmaceutical Fibromyalgia Treatments
The World Health Organization Quality of Life Bref questionnaire (WhoQoL-bref), a straightforward, validated measure, was employed in the prospective cohort research.
In 30 women with treatment-resistant fibromyalgia, aged 18 to 70, who had used all pharmaceutical fibromyalgia treatments, researchers assessed patient-reported QoL to better understand the effects of cannabis treatment.
The four dimensions of psychological, physical, social, and environmental health were the emphasis of the WhoQoL-bref. The questionnaire was completed both before and after the one-month follow-up. Patients have a choice of delivery methods, including ingestion, vaporization, and smoking. Patients were not allowed to participate if they were under the age of 18, above the age of 70, had cognitive impairment, were pregnant, or had previously used cannabis.
Participants’ Baseline Conditions
Participants’ baseline conditions included pain and discomfort, pharmaceutical reliance, low quality of life, fewer activities of daily living, and poor overall health. Their average age was 46.
High levels of environmental elements, such as financial resources, transportation, and the physical surroundings, point to fibromyalgia-related morbidity rather than environmental constraints.
The study’s limitations were small sample size, a brief follow-up time, and the absence of a reference group. The pre-and post-study design and the potential for selection bias are other examples of biases. But after therapy, gains in QoL were statistically significant. Future studies should look at cannabis’ psychological effects as well as a treatment’s diminishing over time or in response to dosage.
The researchers declared that “more investigations are still recommended to comprehend this possibility and its long-term consequences.” Future epidemiologic research should look at additional potential confounders such as body mass index (BMI), anxiety, depression, personality factors, chronic health conditions, and other prescription drugs.
