Pain, fatigue, muscle stiffness, general fatigue. These are some of the sensations that fibromyalgic sufferers suffer from on a daily basis. More than 265 patients mainly from Cadiz but also other places in the bay belong to the Association of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Cadiz, Agafi.
An “invisible” disease whose origin and treatment are unknown. It is a condition that causes pain and difficulty sleeping almost exclusively in women and affects 40 to 60 years of age, although in recent years more and more men and even children are being diagnosed. It tastes good dr. Carmen Iglesias, General Practitioner Health Center Cayetano Roldán and Coordinator of Fibromyalgia in San Fernando, serves almost 20,000 patients a year, of whom 4% are women and 2% are men suffering from fibromyalgia “is a cultural problem: Man still has difficulties with it Step into recognizing and recognizing that pain, mood, or anxiety,” he says
In Spain, according to the Spanish Society of Neurology, 90% of patients with fibromyalgia symptoms have remained undiagnosed. Raise awareness among the population and explain the causes, symptoms and the treatment sought today. However, it can take months for these patients to find an accurate diagnosis. “It’s very frustrating because the patient has many symptoms and is suffering from generalized pain. The aggravating fact that it does not appear in any test or analysis,” says Iglesias, but stresses that it is a disease that has a major impact on the quality of life of the sufferer, as well as in work and family life. In fact, each patient can manifest the condition in different ways. “The treatment must be very individual and multidisciplinary,” emphasizes the doctor. “There are some guidelines for making a clinical diagnosis. patients suffering from have hypersensitivity points in the body that hurt when pressed and are located in areas such as the neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms and legs. to diagnose The disease is necessary to have a generalized pain history of more than three months and to feel pain in 11 out of 18 specific points under pressure, ” explains Dr. Iglesias, while acknowledging that doctors and health professionals are still asking the question diagnosis “We need to be aware that there is a disease called fibromyalgia and that many patients suffer from it.”
The most effective treatment of this disease, recognized as such by the WHO, is, in the vast majority of cases, a mixture of pharmacology and personalized physical activity directed towards aerobics. “It’s very good to walk and swim. but it must be continued », the optional qualifies.
“It has no cure”
The Pilar Ruiz, nurse who emphasizes the work of the Fibromyalgia Health Workshops at the Cayetano Roldán Health Center , “it is important during the disease process. Patients arrive very lost and there they find more support and understanding from other patients whom we call experts who offer them more detailed information as they have the same symptoms. Always supervised by professionals. We also have relaxation and physical therapy workshops,” he says.
In that sense, Dr. Carmen Iglesias that treatment with physiotherapy is “very little” from the public health services. “The rehabilitation service welcomes many patients from different specialties, however, the rehabilitation area does not have the capacity to take care of the patient volume, so it is important that associations are visited .”
Fibromyalgia currently has no cure or specific treatment to stop the symptoms. However, many patients see physical therapy techniques as a way to relieve their chronic pain.
The coordinator emphasizes that one of the most important things is that patients know the disease well. “It is convenient to emphasize that fibromyalgia is not a degenerative disease. It causes pain and symptoms but is not invalid. You will not be in a wheelchair. What you will have is pain. The one who accepts this develops better. In my counseling, I try to chat a ratillo with them, but we’re limited. This information is fundamental, so we work with the associations. »
It is pointed out by AGAFI, which offers comprehensive care on a physical, psychological and social level of work, that in many cases people suffering from these diseases misunderstand their environment, especially in the context of work relationships, “says an invisible disease . The damage ends in the medical consultation and with immediate integration. Creating a specific fibromyalgia unit would be ideal »
There are still many unknowns, but specialists trust that in a few years revolutionary drugs will appear. Hundreds of Gaditanos are now surviving with the disease..
