- The Ribera IMSKE hospital launches a Fibromyalgia Unit, coordinated by doctors Palop and Roth, who have more than 25 years of experience in the treatment of this complex syndrome that is estimated to affect 900.000 people in Spain
- With a multidisciplinary team, made up of physiotherapists, nutritionists, rheumatologists, pain treatment specialists and nursing staff, a comprehensive approach is proposed in facilities such as the hydrotherapy pool.
Fibromyalgia is a complex syndrome, a long-term chronic disorder that causes pain and tenderness throughout the body, fatigue, and sleep problems. It may or may not originate from a specific point in the body, but the central hypersensitivity of these patients causes them to experience pain throughout their body. “In patients with fibromyalgia, a minor injury can cause very great disability and intense pain,” explains Dr. Vicente Palop, coordinator of the hospital's new Fibromyalgia Unit. IMSKE River, in Valencia.
Dr. Palop, who has more than 25 years of experience in the treatment of patients with fibromyalgia, is the coordinator, together with Dr. Patricia Roth, of this clinical unit that the Ribera IMSKE hospital launched last May. and which also has physiotherapists, nutritionists, rheumatologists, specialists in pain treatment and nursing staff, all of them highly specialized. In addition, this health center of the group Ribera, located in a residential neighborhood of Valencia, very close to the Royal Marina, has unique facilities in the city for the clinical treatment of all types of injuries and pathologies that affect the musculoskeletal system, including fibromyalgia, such as indoor pool for hydrotherapy or rehabilitation and readaptation rooms, as well as a complete Radiology Unit, with cutting-edge technology.
The relationship of the central nervous system with hypersensitivity
Although this is a syndrome that can affect anyone, at different stages of life, Dr. Palop explains that it is more common in women between 45 and 65 years old. He recognizes that, despite advances in diagnosis, studies and experience in treatment, a clear causal relationship between the disease and its origin has not yet been established. “There are many factors that can cause fibromyalgia,” he adds. He refers, however, to the theory defended, among others, by the Catalan endocrinologist Carmen Vaz. “She talks in a very interesting book about the causes that determine the fact of getting sick, in general, depending on gender, and also about why women have more chronic pain, not only referring to fibromyalgia, but also to other health problems. health. And it explains that, historically, women have been subjected to many external stress factors, and that after different episodes or generations they may have affected the central nervous system in some cases and be the origin of the hypersensitivity and chronic fatigue that characterize fibromyalgia. . I think she is somewhat right,” she says.
Dr. Palop explains that there are cases that fall outside the most common patient model in fibromyalgia consultations, which confirms that the specific cause of the disease is still a mystery, although it is known to be related to the central nervous system. "I have had the case of a girl who, before reaching 30, completely healthy and with healthy lifestyle habits, newly married and happy, underwent appendicitis surgery and could no longer recover her life because she barely got out of bed due to the pain and a picture of serious chronic fatigue,” he says.
The new Fibromyalgia Unit at the Ribera IMSKE hospital facilitates the diagnosis and treatment of this syndrome, in a comprehensive manner.
