Gustavo Fabregat, doctor: “The best remedy for chronic pain is to detect it at an early stage”

It is estimated that more than 26% of the Spanish population, around nine million people, suffer from some type of chronic pain. Although this is the main reason for visiting a doctor, according to the Spanish Pain Society, 60% of sick people do not receive treatment. Moreover, as the Patient Organizations Platform has shown, 40% of those suffering from it do not have a specific diagnosis.

“Any person whose pain persists beyond the expected recovery time, or a patient with an established diagnosis but who regularly experiences pain, should go to a specialized department,” explains Dr. Gustavo Fabregat, head of the department. Askires’ pain. On World Pain Day, it is important to highlight the importance Treat acute pain as soon as possible to prevent it from becoming chronic.. “The sooner we treat a patient, the fewer changes will occur at the level of the central nervous system and we can achieve better results,” says Dr. Fabregat.

Musculoskeletal pain and neuropathic pain are the two most common types of pain encountered by specialists in these departments. In the first case, pain associated with degenerative pathologies such as osteoarthritis and mainly affecting the spine, manifesting itself in lumbar, cervical or spinal pain, among others, is very common.

Having a longer-lived population with higher functional needs than 40 years ago is a challenge for physicians specializing in this branch of medicine. “Previously, an 80-year-old person led a life of very little physical activity. Now at this age many patients remain fully active and demand to live pain-free and with a good quality of life. They want to continue playing sports or making their grandchildren happy. As healthcare professionals, we must respond to their demands,” defends this anesthesiologist, who specializes in neurostimulation techniques, for pain.

Global Approach Methods

“Our specialty requires dexterity. When we are faced with chronic pain, there is always something we can do in a specialized department. to improve the patient’s quality of life,” emphasizes Dr. Fabregat. Radiofrequency, infiltration, neuromodulation techniques such as transcranial stimulation, implantable systems and infusion systems, regenerative therapy, nerve blocks or pharmacological therapy are just some of the available approaches. Additionally, for pathologies such as plantar fasciitis, tendinitis, or osteoarthritis that do not respond to conservative treatment, low-dose radiation therapy is another therapeutic option with very good results.

“The hardest thing is not to use the technique. The real challenge is to prepare a good clinical history, accurately diagnose and plan strategy appropriate therapy for each patient,” says the head of pain at Ascires, who insists that the solution often involves a combination of different methods.

Chronic pain as a disease

In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized chronic pain as a pathology for the first timeaccording to the update of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD 11). In addition to this type of “primary chronic pain,” there are other types of “secondary” chronic pain, that is, when the pain is a symptom of another disease or condition. This is the case for cancer, post-operative or post-traumatic, neuropathic, orofacial and headache, visceral and musculoskeletal pain.

The Ascires Pain Department offers a global and realistic approach to the treatment of chronic pain, which affects a person not only in the physical sphere, but also in cognitive, emotional, psychological or social. “We have a very broad portfolio for almost all types of diseases, but I never tell my patients that we can completely eliminate pain that has become chronic. You must be honest, set realistic goals and strive for reasonable success. What is certain is that we can always do something to make the patient’s life easier and improve the quality of life,” concludes the Ascires specialist.