translated from Spanish: International Day of Fibromyalgia: One in three Chileans suffers from chronic pain

This 12th of May commemorates the International Day of FIBR omialgia. It is estimated that one in three Chileans over the age of 18 has some condition of chronic pain, including this disease.
With statistics that are increasing and represent a health problem in the country, experts from various disciplines analyze their causes and propose an interdisciplinary treatment.
Fibromyalgia is a condition of chronic pain, which is expressed as generalized muscular pain associated with persistent depletion. It is six times more frequent in women than in males and it has between 2 and 5% of the population. There is a tendency to increase the pathology, 20 years ago it was estimated that 6 million people in the United States suffered from fibromyalgia, whereas today it affects about 10 million.
Solange Rivera, a physician part of the interdisciplinary Pain management team and the Fibromyalgia program at the Pontifical Catholic University, explains that Fibromyalgia has been described as a complex syndrome involving many signs and symptoms, such as pain Generalized muscularity, fatigue, problems sleeping, concentration and memory.
In addition, it can be accompanied by anxiety, depression, headaches, and even digestive problems that complete a picture that generates high impact on the quality of life of people. To diagnose it, symptoms should be present for at least three months.
That is why it ensures that the literature is clear in recommending an interdisciplinary approach for patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia. “From my experience, patients who manage to be evaluated and managed by a health team respond better to treatment.”
“The level of disability and costs associated with chronic pain problems, including fibromyalgia, suggest that offering a model of care, guaranteed by the State, based on interdisciplinary teams with a biopsychosocial approach and timely access To pharmacological, asiamed and psychological treatment, would be not only a saving in the long term, but also an advance in the quality of life of our population, “he added.
Causes and treatment
The cause of Fibromyalgia is unknown, but it is known to be multifactorial. It is believed to respond to changes in the way the central nervous system processes pain, both in neurons that transmit pain from the bone marrow, and in those that should modulate pain in the brain. There is an amplification of normal pain signals, which results in an exacerbated sensitivity.
Physiotherapist Gustavo Torres, of the interdisciplinary Pain management team, points out that the success of managing Fibromyalgia depends on an interdisciplinary approach. The key is to do it from all fronts to reduce fatigue, improve functionality and quality of life. Punctually, in kinesiology it is important that the patient has a personalized attention to achieve individual goals and begins with exercises/physical activity.
Thus, it coincides that a team of interdisciplinary professionals who have a biopsychosocial approach, constant communication and also raise objectives together, achieve that the problem of the patient is addressed from different points of view, that the focus is the And that the patient stays in the center of Care and the health system.
For his part, physiotherapist Germán Bannen, of the same interdisciplinary team, explains that in the face of chronic pain it is essential to help patients understand what is happening to them, give them tools to manage their symptoms through exercises and varied Techniques that help them to resume their daily activities and reintegrate into their social environment. It ensures that, by having a weekly follow-up, the physiotherapist is in very good condition to carry out these interventions, being an important complement to the pharmacological and psychological treatment.
For María Paz Ugarte, clinical psychologist of the team of chronic pain of Red Health UC Christus, the psychological therapy of this type of patients is so much concerned of delving into possible experiences that triggered the disease, as well as in accompanying processes like the acceptance of The same, cognitive restructuring towards positivism, time management and energy dosage, accompaniment from the comprehension and management of anxiety and depression. Therefore, psychological aid will be relevant in the management of the triad pain-anxiety-depression, a component that may be present in cases of Fibromyalgia.

Original source in Spanish