On Fibromyalgia Day, the fight against this chronic disease sheds light and shadows. Characterized by widespread pain and a series of complex symptoms that impair quality of life, fibromyalgia remains a poorly understood condition, although it affects a large portion of the population.
With approximately 276,000 people in Spain and up to 6% of the world’s population affected, fibromyalgia stands as one of the most prevalent chronic diseases today. However, underdiagnosis persists, leaving many patients without adequate recognition and treatment.
More common in women than men, fibromyalgia poses additional challenges in terms of recognition and acceptance. Although it has traditionally been associated more with the female gender, an increase in the number of men diagnosed has been observed in recent years.
Despite the lack of a definitive cure and the lack of knowledge about its origin, significant progress has been made in the understanding of fibromyalgia. From being a misunderstood and questioned disease, it has come to be recognized as a real medical condition. Progress has been made in understanding the possible underlying biological and neurochemical mechanisms, as well as the role of emotional and cognitive factors in its development.
The treatment of fibromyalgia is multidisciplinary, addressing both the physical and emotional aspects of the disease. Physical therapy, which includes adapted exercise and relaxation techniques, plays a critical role in managing pain and improving patients’ quality of life. Furthermore, patterns of central sensitization have been identified that explain the exaggerated perception of pain in people with fibromyalgia, which guides therapeutic approaches towards modulating these responses.
