Mayo Clinic fibromyalgia patients say cannabis is effective for symptom relief
This cross-sectional study from the Mayo Clinic was based on self-reported feedback from their fibromyalgia patients about their use of cannabis to manage symptoms. It was published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings in April 2024.
1336 patients with an average age of 48 completed a one-time survey (cross-sectional data). Most identified as female and just under half reported using cannabis for their symptoms.
The most common symptoms cited for cannabis use:
- Pain
- Fatigue
- Stress, anxiety, or depression
- Insomnia
Results:
Improvement in pain symptoms with cannabis use was reported by 82.0%
Most cannabis-using respondents reported that cannabis also improved symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression and of insomnia.
It's important to understand that while 82% is an overwhelming majority, 18%, or almost one fifth of the patients did not report improvement in their pain. Like most medications, there is almost always a percentage of patients that do not respond to treatment.
These patients reported that stress, anxiety, depression and insomnia were also reduced with the use of cannabis.
The authors' concluded:
Considering that cannabis is a popular choice among patients for managing fibromyalgia symptoms, clinicians should have adequate knowledge of cannabis when discussing therapeutic options for fibromyalgia with their patients.
The article abstract and snippets are here at ScienceDirect.
Source:
Abhinav Singla, Christopher V. Anstine, Linda Huang, Jordan K. Rosedahl, Arya B. Mohabbat, Lindsey M. Philpot, A Cross-Sectional Survey Study of Cannabis Use for Fibromyalgia Symptom Management, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Volume 99, Issue 4, 2024, Pages 542-550, ISSN 0025-6196,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2023.12.018.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025619624000259)