Women with fibromyalgia who had failed other treatments showed significant improvements in quality of life, general health, and physical and psychological domains after 30 days of cannabis treatment.
Rheumatologists, pain specialists, fibromyalgia patients, and medical cannabis researchers.
p<0.01 across domainsfor improvements in quality of life, general health, physical, and psychological domains after 30 days of cannabis
What the researchers found
Cannabis treatment for 30 days produced marked improvements in general quality of life (p<0.01), general health (p<0.01), physical health (p<0.01), and psychological domain (p<0.01) in women with treatment-resistant fibromyalgia.
Why it matters
Fibromyalgia affects millions and many patients do not respond to conventional treatments. This study suggests cannabis could be a viable option for treatment-resistant cases.
The numbers in context
30 women aged 18-70 (mean age 46). Baseline quality of life score 1.47±0.63, improved to 1.97 after 30 days (p<0.01). General health improved from 1.47 to 1.83 (p<0.01). Financial resources and home environment were unaffected.
How the study worked
Prospective cohort study of 30 women with treatment-resistant fibromyalgia using WHO Quality of Life Bref questionnaire before and 1 month after cannabis treatment initiation.
Who was studied
30 women aged 18-70 (mean 46) with fibromyalgia who had exhausted pharmacological treatment options.
What this study cannot tell us
Small sample size (n=30). No control group or placebo comparison. Only 30-day follow-up. Self-reported outcomes subject to placebo effect and expectation bias. Only women studied.
How to read the evidence
Small uncontrolled prospective cohort; positive results need confirmation in randomized controlled trials.
When this study was published
Recent prospective study of cannabis for treatment-resistant fibromyalgia.
The bigger picture
This adds to growing evidence that cannabis may help fibromyalgia symptoms, particularly in patients who have not responded to standard treatments, though rigorous controlled trials are needed.
Replication
Small uncontrolled study; randomized placebo-controlled trials needed.
Funding
Not specified in abstract
Conflicts of interest
Not specified in abstract
Questions still open
- Would a placebo-controlled trial confirm these improvements?
- What cannabis formulations and doses are most effective for fibromyalgia?
Read the original research
The role of cannabis in treatment-resistant fibromyalgia women.
Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain, 23(2), 180-184
Citation
Hershkovich, Oded; Hayun, Yemima; Oscar, Nataly; Shtein, Arnold; Lotan, Raphael. (2023). The role of cannabis in treatment-resistant fibromyalgia women.. Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain, 23(2), 180-184. https://doi.org/10.1111/papr.13179