5 ways to help people suffering from Fibromyalgia

As a pain management physician, I have often struggled to find the right balance of medications for patients suffering from Fibromyalgia and often ignore the benefits of herbal therapy.

The patients are often exhausted because they have trialed so many different types of medicines with suboptimal control of their pain. Doctors continue to struggle to find the right treatment for the common subjective pain syndromes that may not show up on any imaging or blood panels. This makes a lot of patients suffering from Fibromyalgia often feel unheard and rejected.

These disorders see A lot of patients suffering from Fibromyalgia feel stiff. Even though it hurts to more, in the beginning, research shows that slowly increasing exercise over time can reduce pain. Yoga is a great way to accomplish this goal. Fibromyalgia results from abnormal pain signals between the body and the brain. By introducing more exercise, the brain and the body become in a better balance and there is a reduction in abnormal pain signals to the brain. in conditions instead of mitigating the symptoms.

These disorders seem to overlap in the affected populations and sufferers have all endured the stigma of a psychosomatic label, as well as the failure of endless pharmacotherapeutic interventions with suboptimal benefit. The common thread in their symptoms in these conditions are hyperalgesia (sensitivity to pain) and central sensitization ( persistent state of hyper-reactivity) which is suggestive of clinical endocannabinoid deficiency.

I recently read about a lady in her 70's that started making the tinctures for her dog but suffered from chronic pain herself. She was making an olive oil-based tincture from a high CBD and low THC cultivar. The patient was using Fentanyl patches to help control her pain and often complaining over the years that her pain was not controlled. This resulted in her doses of Fentanyl going higher and higher. You see, her underlying cause is not treated which is why the patient keeps requesting increases in her medications. With some people, increasing doses of pain medications cause opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH). OIH is a fancy term which means that pain medications start to do the opposite of what they are supposed to do. In a patient that has underlying problems with hypersensitivity, the pain medications can sometimes make it worst which is why full-spectrum oils are often really effective. The patient started to use the CBD rich drops for her self and started to notice an improvement in sleep and pain. She started to wean off the patches without suffering from withdrawal symptoms. This was all done under the care of her physician. She also vaporized hemp flowers and juiced the hemp leaves when she had flare-ups from Fibromyalgia. She is currently off all pain medications and living her best life.

Exercise regularly. A lot of patients suffering from Fibromyalgia feel stiff. Even though it hurts to more, in the beginning, research shows that slowly increasing exercise over time can reduce pain. Yoga is a great way to accomplish this goal. Fibromyalgia results from abnormal pain signals between the body and the brain. By introducing more exercise, the brain and the body become in a better balance and there is a reduction in abnormal pain signals to the brain.

Recognize that a magic pill does not exist. After treating thousands of patients suffering from Fibromyalgia, I explain to patients that we have to use multiple different techniques to help them manage their pain. I often implement exercise, meditation, and diet into their regiment. I have found that the supplementation of hemp oil has been quite effective in most of these patients. It helps to promote sleep and ease anxiety which is a major problem from most patients suffering from Fibromyalgia. They often fall into a cycle of worrying about the next pain flare up during the day and have difficulty sleeping at night due to pain. I find that the hemp flower and/or CBD oil helps to break that cycle by providing body relaxation and calmness. At Pure Therapy MD, they have selected hemp plants from an organic hemp farm that works great for the type of mood you are trying to accomplish.

Reduce stress. It is very important to be able to identify your stress triggers and try to mitigate those triggers. Most patients often state that their flare-ups of fibromyalgia are worsened with stress. I often refer patients to biofeedback therapy. This cognitive-behavioral technique teaches patients coping strategies when faced with a stressful situation. Most people learn how to relax, avoid negative self-talk, cope with emotional stress and task management. These techniques help with better calmness under pressure and ease stress-induced pain.

Get enough sleep. It's no secret that fatigue in Fibromyalgia is linked to pain, with each one worsening the other. Researchers have correlated that there are similar neurotransmitters that control pain also control sleep, mood, and memory. The Endocannabinoid system is also responsible for the release of anandamide also called the "bliss" molecule. I have found that this is why supplementing the diet with hemp oil flowers, teas or oil is quite effective in healing with the sleep. Other good habits to getting a good sleep at night include a sleep setting a set time to got to sleep, limit or eliminate caffeine, and regular exercise.

Try other non-drug treatments. Research funded by NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health shows mind-body practices can have benefits for fibromyalgia. Biofeedback behavioral therapy, massage therapy, and acupuncture have been beneficial in improving pain, stiffness, fatigue, and depression.

There are many options on the market when it comes to helping to manage your pain. It's important to choose what regiment is right from you as long as it is under the direction of your medical doctor. I have found that CBD has been very effective in the management of certain conditions. When selecting these products, it is important to find a company that understands the benefits of hemp plant genetics based on science. This translates to the production of quality natural oil that is best for your body and helps to maintain wellness and balance in your system. Pure Therapy MD has a great product line that produces high-quality oils that helps to target certain conditions.

At Pure Therapy, we have products that were formulated with the beneficial effects found with Fibromyalgia. Pure Relief and Pure Free are designed for restorative relief. Pure Calm and Pure Restore ease the mind and help with a good night's sleep. All of these products that combine major and minor cannabinoids, terpenes, and botanical blend that is designed to provide a power knock-out to painful conditions. To learn more about the product line, please visit www.puretherapymd.com.