Fibromyalgia is a long-term health condition that causes pain all throughout the body. Though there are several ways of easing the pain and improving the quality of one’s life, there is currently no cure for it.
Common treatments include conventional medicine such as painkillers, antidepressants, sleep medication, anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, and muscle relaxants. That’s a lot of medication. Yet, it needs to be complemented with additional treatment options, for instance, exercise, psychological help, relaxation techniques, and more.
For various reasons, there are people who turn to alternative treatment methods. One of them is kratom. Let’s take a look at more detailed information on fibromyalgia and how kratom can help with it.
What Is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a chronic musculoskeletal disorder. Along with pain in the bones and muscles, those who suffer from it experience fatigue. They also frequently have sleep, mood, and memory issues.
The symptoms of fibromyalgia are considered subjective. This means that they can’t be measured or determined by tests. They also can overlap with symptoms of other conditions. Because of that, doctors often misdiagnose it as another disease such as multiple sclerosis, Lyme disease, or lupus.
Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia causes pain and aches on “tender points.” It normally affects specific places like arms, hips, shoulders, legs, and back. They hurt when one puts pressure on them. In addition to the aforementioned pain and discomfort, common Fibromyalgia symptoms include:
1. Exhaustion and Extreme Fatigue
These are common symptoms of this chronic disorder. However, some people also experience “fibro fog.” It’s a condition when one has difficulty remembering information, following conversation, and concentrating. This can make everyday activities and work difficult.
2. Sleep Disturbances
People suffering from this condition struggle to fall asleep or have disturbed sleep. The reason is a pain on tender points that wakes people up many times throughout the night. Common sleep disorders like restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea are also common.
3. Psychological Symptoms
Fibromyalgia can be associated with imbalances in brain chemistry. Thus, there are many psychological symptoms as well. They occur due to irregular levels of particular neurotransmitters, dealing with the disorder. These psychological symptoms include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Causes of Fibromyalgia
The actual cause of this chronic condition is not clear yet. But many believe that it’s the result of trauma, infection, or surgery. Below are a few factors involved:
1. Hormonal Imbalances
Hormones like dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin help our bodies to process pain. If their levels are lower than normal levels, one may become more sensitive. Inadequate hormone levels interrupt pain signals to the brain.
2. Triggers
In some people, fibromyalgia symptoms start after a physical or emotional trauma, or due to an infectious disease. As compared to men, women are more prone to this condition. Common triggers include:
- Repeated injuries
- Infections such as the flu
- Traumatic events in life such as the death of loved ones, divorce, or breakup
- Childbirth
What Is Kratom?
Kratom, or ‘Mitragyna Speciosa’, is a rare tree found in some of the richest lands of Southeast Asia. It provides a complete drug-like effect to treat a number of health issues. A few of them are depression, opiate withdrawal, lower back pain, and anxiety. But the list definitely doesn’t stop here.
Kratom is also excellent for managing fibromyalgia symptoms.
How Can Kratom Benefit Fibromyalgia Symptoms?
There are many different strains of kratom available. While purchasing, it is important to pay close attention to the strain you are buying. Especially, if you aim to use kratom for fibromyalgia pain and symptoms.
Kratom classifies into three main types: red vein, green vein, and white vein. Red vein kratom is a muscle relaxant whereas white vein type is a stimulant. Green vein kratom assists in both managing pain and boosting energy levels. But, at a lower intensity. Each of the varieties offers benefits for fibromyalgia patients.
1. Reduced Pain
One of the most popular and prominent qualities of kratom is its analgesic qualities. Red vein kratom provides pain relief similar to what you can expect from pain medication and opioids. However, kratom comes with minimal side effects and very low abuse potential compared to opioid drugs.
2. Increased Energy Levels
White and green kratom strains are effective in upping energy levels. White vein kratom is a lot more potent in this regard than green vein. Yet, its pain-relieving effects are minimal. Green vein strains offer a moderate increase in energy as well as moderate pain relief.
3. Improved the Quality of Sleep
Kratom can boost the quality of sleep in a few different ways. First of all slower strains like reds have relaxing and sedating properties. They can help one fall as well as stay asleep. Yet, greens and whites can help too. They can help one regulate their sleep by keeping them alert and energized throughout the day and tired enough to fall asleep in the evening.
4. Improved Emotional Wellbeing
Kratom strains have the potential to improve one’s mood and aid with depression, anxiety, and stress. Those who suffer from stress and anxiety can benefit from red and green strains. Green vein kratom can also be helpful to ease depression symptoms. While whites have mood-boosting properties, those with depression should exert caution taking them or avoid them completely as whites can easily make one jittery and anxious.
Dosing and Usage Tips
Since fibromyalgia comes with a wide range of symptoms, users can benefit from taking different types of kratom together.
To get analgesic relief from fibromyalgia, you can use a mix of white and red strains. Together, they act as stimulants and muscle relaxants and can provide pain relief.
It is also possible to use a blend of green and red strain. Green strains boost energy levels and red strains provide muscle relaxation.
Some users report using a blend of all three strains as well.
As per specific strains, for instant pain relief and to fall asleep easier, red vein strains and Maeng Da Kratom are a good mix. To reduce discomfort or pain due to fibromyalgia, Red Bali strain can be very useful.
Are you taking kratom to deal with fibromyalgia pain? Which strains or blends are you using?