Medical cannabis is a valuable tool for many patients that suffer from autoimmune diseases. As we have learned in previous articles, there are significant benefits to utilizing cannabinoid therapies to treat autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, and fibromyalgia. In this article, we will be taking a closer look at what research has shown to date regarding how medical cannabis may be an efficient treatment for endometriosis.
What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is an autoimmune disorder characterized by endometrial tissue growing on the outside of the uterus, commonly on the tissue lining the pelvis, fallopian tubes, and the outside of the ovaries. Like endometrial tissue inside of the uterus, this abnormally grown tissue outside of the uterus also becomes thicker and breaks down with each menstrual cycle. According to statistics from endometriosis.org, a global forum for news and information surrounding endometriosis, it is estimated that approximately 176 million women globally will be affected by endometriosis during their reproductive years. That is an average of one in every ten women.
What Causes Endometriosis and Are Some Women More at Risk?
The underlying cause of endometriosis is thought to be the existence of embryonic cell transformations, underlying immune system disorders, and issues with endometrial cell transport within the body. According to the Mayo Clinic, if a woman’s menstrual cycle starts at an early age, if they have a history of heavier menstruation cycles or menstruation cycles that lost longer than one week, a low BMI, high levels of estrogen, reproductive tract abnormalities, or have never given birth it puts them at a higher risk for developing endometriosis.
What are the Symptoms of and Treatments for Endometriosis?
In severe cases, endometriosis can cause infertility. However, most of the symptoms associated with endometriosis include pain during intercourse, intense menstrual cramps within the lower back, painful bowel movements and urination during menstrual cycles, as well as abnormal menstrual flows, among other aspects.
In severe cases of endometriosis, sometimes medical procedures such as endometrial ablation, electric coagulation, and cauterization are implored to bring patients relief. For most endometriosis patients, however, a combination of over-the-counter and pharmaceutical pain relievers, hormone therapies, and the use of things such as heating pads to help mitigate pain are utilized as primary treatment options.
Like with many other conditions and diseases, many endometriosis patients are looking for holistic therapies and natural alternatives to over-the-counter and pharmaceutical medications. This is leading many to explore the option of cannabinoid therapies for endometriosis through the use of medical cannabis.
Can Cannabis Help Relieve Endometriosis Symptoms?
Research to date offers much hope for endometriosis patients looking to utilize medical cannabis for relief.
Getting to the Root of the Issue – Reducing the Existence of Endometrial Tissue Outside of the Uterus
In 2017 researchers concluded that cannabinoids that stimulate the CB1 and CB2 receptors are able to significantly reduce the growth of endometrial tissue on the outside of the uterus. Additionally, cannabinoids that activated both of these receptors also promoted a process known as apoptosis which is the process of cells dying as part of an organism’s growth, in this case, the growth of endometrial cells outside of the uterus. This study also showed that cannabinoids had the ability to decrease the rapid reproduction of endometrial cells. By reducing the growth and existence of these abnormal cells and tissue outside of the uterus, it helps to bring endometriosis patients relief.
Improved Memory Retention, Decreased Pain, and Reduced Anxiety
In 2020, researchers in Barcelona published a study on endometriosis and cannabis that showed some interesting aspects of how cannabinoid therapies may be beneficial for patients. For many endometriosis patients, in addition to the symptoms mentioned above, they also experience intense anxiety-like side effects. This is something that researchers in this study also noted within mice test subjects with endometriosis. The study also looked at memory impairment which is also common among endometriosis patients. The study found that 2 mg of THC per kilogram of body weight over the course of 28 days was able to increase memory retention, restore cognitive functions, and reduce mechanical hypersensitivity and pain within the mice test subjects with endometriosis. While clinical trials would be needed, it is likely that cannabinoids would have the same effect in human subjects.
Relieving Pain and Cramping
In a 2021 study, researchers studied the “Effects of cannabis ingestion on endometriosis-associated pelvic pain and related symptoms,” which included 252 participants with endometriosis. This study found that the most commonly reported symptom that consumers were addressing with cannabis for endometriosis was pain. According to the self-reports of improvement in symptoms, inhaled cannabis offered the greatest efficacy for pain relief. When it comes to the mood and GI-related symptoms of endometriosis, participants reported greater relief from oral methods of consumption. The study concluded the following.
“Cannabis appears to be effective for pelvic pain, gastrointestinal issues, and mood, with effectiveness differing based on the method of ingestion. The greater propensity for use of an inhaled dosage delivery may be due to the rapid onset of pain-relieving effects versus the slower onset of oral products. Oral forms appeared to be superior compared to inhaled forms in the less commonly reported mood or gastrointestinal categories. Clinical trials investigating the tolerability and effectiveness of cannabis for endometriosis pain and associated symptoms are urgently required.”
Conclusion
Not only does research suggest that cannabinoid therapies could drastically benefit endometriosis patients, but so do the thousands of anecdotal stories and testimonials you can find online from real endometriosis patients that have utilized medical cannabis for endometriosis with great success. Luckily more people have legal access to cannabis today than they have in the last century, which is leading many to explore holistic treatment options such as medical cannabis for many different conditions and ailments. If you live with endometriosis or one of many other conditions and ailments that medical cannabis may be beneficial for, such as chronic pain, perhaps it’s time for you to explore the option of obtaining your medical cannabis recommendation and becoming a registered medical cannabis patient.
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