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According to a study, wearing colored glasses could help reduce the anxiety caused by the pain of fibromyalgia. And why not, reduce the need for opioids.
According to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Anaesthesiologists, wearing special green glasses for several hours a day would reduce pain-related anxiety and therefore the consumption of opioids in patients with fibromyalgia. By extension, this system could also play on other people suffering from chronic pain.
Glasses promote well-being
The Duke University researchers studied 34 patients with fibromyalgia who were assigned to wear different shades of glasses four hours a day for two weeks: 10 patients wore blue glasses, 12 clear glasses, and 12 green glasses. .
Ultimately, patients wearing green glasses were four times more likely to see their anxiety reduced than those in the other groups. This has resulted in particular in the reduction of the intake of opioids. Most patients in this group reported feeling better and asked to continue using their green glasses.
“We found that although their pain scores remained the same, those who wore the green glasses used less opioids, demonstrating that their pain was adequately controlled.“said Dr. Padma Gulur, lead study author and executive vice president of Duke Anesthesiology and Duke Health.”We recommend the green glasses treatment for people with fibromyalgia and are studying patients with other chronic pain conditions to determine if it would be beneficial.“.
A non-pharmacological option under study
If the study may seem anecdotal and is currently based on only a few patients, it nevertheless reflects very real research around fibromyalgia: “Our research has found that certain wavelengths of green light stimulate brain pathways that help manage pain. There is an urgent need for additional treatments to reduce opioid use in patients with fibromyalgia and other types of chronic pain. Green glasses could be an easy-to-use non-pharmacological option” argued Dr. Padma Gulur.
There are indeed few alternatives to opioids – especially non-drug options – for patients with severe, chronic pain such as fibromyalgia. Pain and anxiety share similar biological mechanisms. Additionally, fear of pain exacerbates anxiety, often leading to increased opioid use., explained Dr. Gulur. So if simply wearing green glasses can reverse this vicious circle for some people, why not try to see life in green?