• Hospiten Estepona is committed to a multidisciplinary and personalized approach to patients with persistent pain. The Pain Unit incorporates the use of methylene blue as a complementary treatment in selected patients.

Chronic pain continues to be one of the great challenges in clinical practice, especially in complex pathologies such as fibromyalgia, where conventional treatments do not always offer a satisfactory response. In this context, Hospiten Estepona has recently strengthened the activity of its Pain Unit by incorporating new therapeutic alternatives for patients with persistent pain, including an innovative treatment based on the prescription of the drug methylene blue.

The Pain Unit, directed by Dr. Alicia Jiménez Ruiz, specialist in the area of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation, develops a multidisciplinary and personalized approach, aimed at relieving symptoms and improving the quality of life of patients with chronic pain, especially those diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

A pathology of high prevalence and clinical diagnosis

Fibromyalgia is a disease recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 1992 and is a common cause of chronic musculoskeletal pain. In Spain it affects approximately 2.37% of the population, mainly women between 40 and 49 years of age. It is characterized by generalized pain, persistent fatigue, sleep disorders, cognitive problems and mood alterations. Its origin is associated with an alteration in the processing of pain in the central nervous system (central sensitization). Diagnosis is clinical and treatment combines pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, such as therapeutic exercise and psychotherapy, with the usual use of antidepressants, analgesics, anxiolytics and neuromodulators.

As part of this comprehensive approach, the Hospiten Estepona Pain Unit has begun to use methylene blue, also known as methylthioninium chloride, as a complementary treatment in selected patients with fibromyalgia and chronic pain. This is a drug, known for decades, approved for the treatment of methemoglobinemia, and whose mechanism of action has aroused interest in recent years due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and its ability to improve mitochondrial function, which is responsible for cellular energy production. As Dr. Jiménez explains, "methylene blue, as an oxidant and neuroprotective agent, reduces oxidative stress and improves mitochondrial function, which is the engine of the cell".

Scientific evidence and criteria for use

Several preliminary studies have analyzed the potential of methylene blue in pathologies involving inflammation, oxidative stress and neurological alterations, as well as in pain management. However, the scientific evidence available is still limited and is in early stages, so its use requires individualized medical assessment.

"The use of this drug should be carried out with caution, since there may be a pharmacological interaction with other prescribed drugs," points out the head of the Pain Unit. "The future of methyleneblue as a neuroprotective and analgesic drug in patients with neurodegenerative diseases is promising, given its proven benefits and the ongoing research it maintains with new clinical trials and the development of new formulations that improve its bioavailability and efficacy," she adds.

For this reason, the treatment requires a thorough prior clinical evaluation and close medical follow-up during its administration, always within a global therapeutic approach.

With this initiative, Hospiten Estepona reinforces its commitment to a person-centered healthcare model, in which the approach to chronic pain is integrated into rigorous, personalized and multidisciplinary medical care.

This article is an English translation generated with AI from the original Spanish content. While we review content for clarity, the information is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis or treatment.