Cannabis effectively manages symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia: Mayo Clinic study

A recent survey conducted by Mayo Clinic's Department of Integrative Medicine & Health highlighted the widespread use of cannabis among fibromyalgia patients as a self-managed treatment for reducing their symptoms. This significant findings published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings could influence future discussions and treatments that involves cannabis and fibromyalgia management.

The electronic cross-sectional survey utilized the Symptom Management Theory tool and was sent anonymously to a total of 5,234 patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia through web-based software. With a 25.5% response rate, 1,336 patients provided valuable insights into their symptom management strategies with the use of cannabis.

The respondents were primarily female with a median age of 48 which revealed a striking prevalence of cannabis use since their fibromyalgia diagnosis. Approximately half of the survey participants (49.5%) reported using cannabis which indicates significance in managing the chronic condition.

The cannabis users pointed to several fibromyalgia symptoms that they attempted to manage with the substance. A notable majority of patients used cannabis for pain relief (98.9%), while fatigue (96.2%), stress, anxiety or depression (93.9%) and insomnia (93.6%) were also commonly treated symptoms. Also, 82% of those using cannabis reported improvements in pain symptoms.

The results suggest that cannabis addresses the primary symptom of pain and also reduce secondary issues such as mental health symptoms and sleep disturbances that are often experienced by the fibromyalgia patients. This multifaceted relief could potentially explain the high rate of cannabis use among the survey participants.

This findings of the survey underline the importance for healthcare providers to be well-informed about cannabis as a potential option for fibromyalgia management. Thereby clinicians are encouraged to consider cannabis in their discussions about therapeutic strategies.

The implications of this survey are particularly relevant in the current healthcare climate where the patients are increasingly seeking natural and integrative treatment approaches. It also highlights the need for further clinical research to better understand the efficacy and safety of cannabis use for fibromyalgia and potentially other chronic pain conditions.

Cannabis continues to be a topic of significant interest and debate within medical circles, the insights from the survey of Mayo Clinic offers a crucial perspective on patient preferences and their real-world application in symptom management. This data serves as a foundation for future studies and discussions to optimize care strategies for fibromyalgia patients in incorporating cannabis as a legitimate medical option under proper supervision and regulation.

Reference:

Singla, A., Anstine, C. V., Huang, L., Rosedahl, J. K., Mohabbat, A. B., & Philpot, L. M. (2024). A Cross-Sectional Survey Study of Cannabis Use for Fibromyalgia Symptom Management. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 99, Issue 4, pp. 542–550). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2023.12.018