New treatment to tackle fibromyalgia

Advanced Plasma Renewal therapy (also known as Therapeutic Apheresis) is a procedure that removes toxins and antibodies from the bloodstream and reduces the presence of inflammatory cytokines. By reducing inflammation,the immune function is improved and age-related degenerative processes are slowed down, which has a potential rejuvenating effect.

It is a new therapy, recently incorporated into the therapeutic portfolio of SHA Wellness Clinic under the name of Advanced Plasma Renewal. It is a medical procedure known as apheresis that allows, using specialised equipment, a person’s blood to be removed in order to separate out undesirable components.

This therapy has many benefits, including reducing or eliminating harmful or excessive substances from the blood, such as toxins, antibodies or abnormal proteins.

In addition, blood viscosity and microcirculation are immediately improved, cytokines are reduced and the inflammatory response is modulated. These benefits give this therapy a potential anti-inflammatory effect at cellular level.

People with fibromyalgia suffer from chronic fatigue, pain and stiffness throughout their body, often without doctors being able to determine the cause of their discomfort.

It is a chronic pathology which, according to descriptions in the medical literature, is characterised by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue and sleep problems, memory problems and low mood. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies pain sensations because it affects the way the brain and spinal cord process pain and non-pain signals.Symptoms often begin after an event, which may be physical trauma, surgery, infection or significant psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms accumulate progressively over time, without a triggering event.

Women are more likely than men to develop fibromyalgia. Many people with fibromyalgia also suffer from tension headaches, temporomandibular joint disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression.

How can this blood purification treatment help?

Dr Rosario García, a specialist in Revitalising Medicine at SHA Wellness Clinic explains that it is “an extracorporeal procedure with which molecules and immunocomplexes involved in more than 80 different diseases can be eliminated. “The main objective of this treatment is to purify the blood to eliminate or reduce harmful or excessive substances that produce a disease or are involved in its progression.” Among them, Dr García mentions toxic substances, inflammatory proteins and immunocomplexes. “Blood Purification therapy improves blood flow properties by removing high molecular weight proteins, which reduces blood viscosity and improves microcirculation, tissue oxygenation and metabolic exchange processes.”

It is therefore particularly recommended for patients with neurological diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Myasthenia gravis. “In general, it is recommended for people who wish to improve their overall health, preventing diseases that develop or become more serious in later decades of life,” explains Dr Garcia.

The expert states that on the immunological level, “this therapy helps to decrease the excessive or inappropriate immune response, reducing the concentration of antibodies that may be damaging the tissues and inflammatory components in the blood.”

The causes of fibromyalgia are unknown. There are probably many factors involved. Some patients explain that they have developed it after physical or emotional stress. Others relate it to trauma or illness. In most cases, it seems to occur without apparent cause. The most likely hypothesis is that the disease is caused by a disorder in the way the body processes pain, more specifically an increased sensitivity to stimuli that in normal people are not painful. Research into its causes is very intense, including research into how the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) processes pain. Several studies indicate that people who have an affected family member are more likely to develop the disease. The exact reasons for this are not known. It could be heredity or the shared environment. Genetic factors that may be involved in its origin are being actively studied.

As Advanced Plasma Renewal therapy achieves numerous benefits, including reducing or removing harmful or excessive substances from the blood, such as toxins, antibodies or abnormal proteins, its effect is believed to be beneficial for fibromyalgia patients. In addition, the treatment immediately improves blood viscosity and microcirculation, reduces cytokines and modulates the inflammatory response.

Therapeutic apheresis is useful in the treatment of various chronic pathologies such as autoimmune disorders and inflammatory diseases. When used preventively, it helps to counteract the onset of chronic degenerative processes and to prevent cardiovascular events in high-risk patients.

Most people can benefit from a blood purification treatment, but Dr García recommends that the patient be assessed individually to take into account their specific needs. “There are certain medical conditions in which this therapy cannot be recommended, for example active infections, severe renal failure, severe anaemia or compromised haemodynamic situations,” states the specialist