Fibromyalgia in a nutshell
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease that is characterized mainly by widespread pain throughout the body and fatigue. It is estimated that 2-6% of the world’s population suffers with this condition which causes severe and disabling pain in the muscles and fibrous tissues. It is a disease of difficult diagnosis and definition, because it is an abnormal individual alteration in the perception of pain, so that the sensation of pain is amplified in stimuli that for other people may not be as painful.
The causes of fibromyalgia, despite many studies, are difficult to define. However, some general features lead to the conclusion that its appearance tends to occur especially after traumatic events, the existence of permanent injuries and/or the existence of certain diseases. It is also considered that there may be genetic factors responsible as the cause. Interestingly, fibromyalgia has a higher incidence among women.
The main symptoms of fibromyalgia are widespread pain and stiffness in the body, fatigue and tiredness. To these are added others that affect neurological functions and the development of depression and anxiety. Because the disease is characterized by a broad set of symptoms, it is often diagnosed after visiting various and different medical professionals, as there are no specific tests for detection.
Treatment of fibromyalgia so far is palliative. In other words, it is not known exactly how to combat its causes and, therefore, medical action is focused on treating its symptoms, especially with powerful analgesics, antidepressants and muscle relaxants. The change in lifestyle is also an important part to ease the symptoms, like the improvement of the sleeping pattern, regular physical exercises, healthy diet and stress management. Some people also find help in psychotherapy and/or complementary alternative therapies.
Can kratom help with fibromyalgia?
It is known that to relieve the uncomfortable pains that people suffer from fibromyalgia, over-the-counter painkillers are usually not effective, so stronger opioid-based medications are often prescribed due to the severity of living a daily life in a state of permanent pain. Opium-based medicines, however, often have strong and troublesome side effects for their users, which alone is one reason why so many Americans have made kratom so popular over the past two decades: after going through a true national crisis of over-selling opiates prescribed by the health care system, people started looking for healthier alternatives that could be as effective as the manufactured drugs from the opiate industry, but without their terrible effects that turned their bodies practically useless to function and have a minimally normal life. This is how kratom became popular: effective and without major side effects.
Kratom proves that the effectiveness of its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties is not restricted to the thousands of stories found on the web about how this plant has helped so many people to regain their quality of life (we recommend you to take a look here at these real stories from different people), but also several scientific studies prove it useful for pain, anxiety and opiate withdrawal (1 & 2). When talking about fibromyalgia specifically, these are some of the stories of those who decided to try kratom to manage their disease:
Stories from people taking kratom for their fibromyalgia
Cassidy Reese, from Louisiana, USA
Full article: https://www.kratomscience.com/2019/12/12/kratom-stories-cassidy-reese-from-louisiana/
“The doctor refused to see me because he didn’t believe fibromyalgia was a real disease”.
“Along with my ruptured disc it was found that I had compressed or bulging discs in most areas of my spine and that I also had severe degenerative spinal stenosis, fibromyalgia, sciatica, allodynia and a generalized neuromuscular pain disorder that all contributed to my constant pain and muscle spasms. We tried all kinds of combinations of drugs, injections, and procedures to try and minimize my pain but nothing seemed to have lasting effects”.
“During the beginning of my kratom journey, another of the major benefits I discovered happened when I had my first really bad pain flare day. Normally these pain flares would put me completely out of commission and I would be forced to stay in bed because it would hurt to much to even stand up or walk”.
“With the addition of kratom to my arsenal I was able to more easily take control of my pain level and lessen the severity of my extreme pain flare days”.
“Because kratom is the all natural, pure plant leaves without any additives, I did not have the worry of adding more acetaminophen, other NSAIDs, or any other OTC pharmaceutical into my body. This meant I could increase my dose or take it more frequently during a pain flare. This was a game changer for me”.
Michael Carr, from Florida, USA
Full article: https://www.kratomscience.com/2019/10/24/kratom-stories-michael-carr-from-florida/
“I take kratom for many reasons. I deal with anxiety, depression. I have fibromyalgia, so I deal with pain. I have post traumatic arthritis in my collarbone so I take it for that as well. Mainly, anxiety and pain”.
“When you get that first cup of coffee in the morning, you get a little boost of energy, like “Damn I can do this. This is gonna be a good day.” But that only lasts for a little bit. The kratom is like that, but it’s more intense, and it’s longer lived”.
Melody Woolf, from Michigan, USA
Podcast: https://www.kratomscience.com/podcast/12-melody-woolf/
Melody Woolf is from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Melody suffered from a number of conditions that gave her excruciating chronic pain including fibromyalgia and spinal stenosis. She was mostly home-bound and had to use a wheelchair, walker, and opiates to get her through the day. She discovered kratom six years ago and now walks, bikes, and makes up for time with her children lost to her prior condition. She’s also an awesome kratom activist and can be found on twitter @MelodyHope5.
Kami Ann Davis, from California, USA
Full article: https://www.kratomscience.com/2020/06/12/kratom-stories-kami-ann-davis-from-california/
“Fibromyalgia, I have that. I totally believe that is a result of multiple traumas to the body. I’ve had fibro for 20 years. I still don’t understand it completely, but I can manage it pretty well as long as I take good care of myself and manage my stress. Kratom does wonders for it. It’s widespread pain that makes you hurt all over. It feels like you’re wearing a wet-suit that’s ten times too small”.
