Disseminate the indications provided by the “Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of fibromyalgia” drawn up by the Emilia-Romagna Region evenly throughout the region, first among the Italian Regions, through the creation of pathways for taking charge of patients affected by this pathology and the launch of specific training of medical personnel in the individual territories. The document identifies the fundamental phases of diagnosis, therapy and taking charge of patients and those responsible for the treatment path, using the regional FAD platform dedicated to fibromyalgia.
It is with these objectives that the Regional Council – with a recent resolution – has decided to distributed among the health authorities of Emilia-Romagna, over 380 thousand (exactly 384,167 euros) of state funding, for the implementation of the paths and activities envisaged in the guidelines.
“It is an extremely disabling pathology for which there is no definitive cure. On May 12, 2022, World Fibromyalgia Day was celebrated precisely to raise awareness of this sneaky, insidious and difficult to diagnose syndrome.underlines the councilor for health policies, Raffaele Donini-. And our hope is that in addition to these resources, which will be used by researchers to move forward in the study of the disease and to train professionals who know how to correctly treat the disease in a multidisciplinary way, there will be a concrete answer for patients, i.e. the long-awaited of the pathology in the essential levels of assistance with a copay exemption code for specialist services, drugs or any form of therapy”.
The address lines, drawn up by a multidisciplinary technical working group established by the Region in 2016, contain precise diagnostic criteria, elaborated on the basis of international and national scientific evidence to identify fibromyalgia – or fibromyalgia syndrome -, in particular in the more serious and disabling forms; as well as providing indications for the treatment of people affected by this pathology.
The regional working group is made up of professionals from the Regional Directorate-General for Personal Care, Health and Welfare, from the Regional Health and Social Agency, from Local Health Trusts and from representatives of the Emilia-Romagna Rheumatic Diseases Association (AMRER), with which has started motor activity adapted for patients with fibromyalgia at spas.
The privileged recipients of the document are all healthcare professionals of various disciplines, first and foremost general practitioners and rheumatologists, involved on a daily basis in the treatment of the disease, but also all those citizens who wish to acquire more information, improving the level of knowledge and awareness of your condition.
Innovative interventions for the treatment of fibromyalgia and research in Emilia-Romagna
Among the most innovative interventions carried out in Emilia-Romagna for the treatment of fibromyalgia is Adapted Motor Activity (AMA): a particular motor-based treatment strategy recommended by the regional guidelines for the management of the disease. The treatment consists of a combination of gymnastic exercises, motor activity and breathing techniques to be carried out in dry, hot thermal water, under the constant presence of specialized personnel, designed to reduce painful symptoms while preserving the joints and muscle tone. In the region there is a network that connects local health authorities and 243 gyms and sports associations, 65 of which are “gyms that promote health” and 178 also offer courses in adapted motor activity, all certified and institutionally recognized by the Regional Health Service . Among the latter, there are those that belong to the Local Health Authority of Bologna; the gymnasium of the Sports Medicine Service of the Local Health Authority of Modena, in particular in the Carpi office where it is also possible to carry out activities in the swimming pool; the Modena university hospital whose Rheumatology department manages, the only one in the province, a second-level outpatient clinic dedicated to fibromyalgia and chronic widespread pain.
To identify the gyms and sports associations that join this network, you can consult an interactive map at this link: https://regioneer.it/lk833l4d
Furthermore, since 2018 in Emilia-Romagna, thanks to a specific Agreement signed between AMRER and COTER (Consortium of the thermal circuit of Emilia-Romagna) in the 24 accredited spa companies in the area, fibromyalgia patients can take advantage of ‘therapeutic thermal packages ‘ which include Adapted Motor Activity.
Finally, in the Local Health Trusts of Bologna and Reggio Emilia, disease treatments are carried out with acupuncture.
The commitment to fibromyalgia in Emilia-Romagna also continues from the point of view of research: the Rheumatology Department of the Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute, coordinated by Prof. Francesco Ursini, has identified a particular picture of the disease, baptized as “FibroCOVID”, which can appear after the COVID-19. Other areas of research include the social costs of fibromyalgia, the negative impact of fibromyalgia on orthopedic surgery outcomes, and the link between fibromyalgia and obesity. On the latter issue, in particular, a particularly promising study is currently underway aimed at evaluating the effects of a specific diet, the ketogenic diet, on the symptoms of fibromyalgia.
fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a long-known disease that has only recently received scientific definition and formal recognition. It mainly manifests itself with widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue (asthenia) which can compromise the quality of life of the sick people. Although very frequent, it is difficult to recognize due to the absence of specific tests capable of certifying the chronic and widespread pain that characterizes it, and because some of its symptoms can also be found in other clinical conditions.
Internationally, the prevalence is estimated to be between 2-3% and 8% and the incidence between 7-11 cases per year per 1,000 people (1,16).
Annex Guidelines – Fibromyalgia