Pain, disability, and deterioration in quality of life are some of the consequences of rheumatic diseases, which are more common than lung and heart diseases. To mark International Rheumatic Disease Day, we wanted to find out how these diseases have evolved and how biological medicine is a great ally for patients.
Over 30 years specializing in rheumatic diseases. Why did you start your career in this specialty?
My father was a doctor and one of the most prestigious rheumatologists in Spain at the time. He was the one who conveyed to me the suffering of rheumatic patients, as the common symptom in all of them is pain, and at that time it was very difficult to control, especially because patients lived with their most advanced pathology, with pain and with the side effects of anti-inflammatory treatment that sooner or later took its toll.
That is why I decided to devote myself to treating rheumatic diseases, to alleviate the suffering of these patients. That is also why, guided by my father, I delved into medical techniques for treating pain effectively and without side effects, such as acupuncture (now very common in pain units at the world's most prestigious hospitals), mesotherapy, magnetotherapy, osteopathy, etc. These techniques are now very familiar to us, but forty years ago they were little known.
What has changed in these diseases over the last 20 years?
We can distinguish two main groups of rheumatic diseases: inflammatory (generally autoimmune) and degenerative (osteoarthritis). Both are growing exponentially. The former are caused by an immune problem, where the patient's own defense system attacks structures in their own body because it recognizes them as foreign. In this way, it chronically inflames them as a pathological defense mechanism and gradually destroys them, causing functional problems and significant pain that in many cases reduce the patient's quality of life. This type of rheumatic disease is on the rise and is even more common in children than it was a few years ago. Today, our immune system is constantly bombarded by chemicals, various types of radiation, and emotional problems of varying degrees, which in many cases activate the patient's genetic predisposition to these diseases, triggering the expression of these genes, which we now call epigenetics.
The second type, degenerative osteoarthritis, is caused by deterioration, or "wear and tear," of the joint cartilage, which leads to functional impairment and pain of varying intensity when we use the joint, as the bones rub against each other due to insufficient joint cartilage to facilitate this friction. They are becoming more common every day, firstly because we are living longer and more age-related diseases are appearing. In a way, osteoarthritis is joint aging. In addition, there is an increase in cases at younger ages due to sedentary lifestyles, lack of exercise, poor diet, and a lack of nutrients essential for good joint health.
What do we know about the causes of rheumatic diseases?
Although we have already mentioned this briefly, I will be more explicit. In general, when we talk about rheumatic diseases, we are talking about chronic diseases. As with any chronic disease, there are a number of common factors that remain over time and accumulate. Often, there is also a genetic predisposition that ends up being activated and triggered by epigenetics.
What all chronic diseases have in common is essentially:
– Acidification of the extracellular environment,caused by our poor eating habits, with excess protein and, above all, refined carbohydrates, processed foods, and saturated (bad) fats.
– Poor nutrition, lacking unsaturated (good) fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc.
– Oxidative stress, accumulation of oxygen free radicals, which damage cell membranes and accelerate the aging of our structures.
– accumulation of toxins from toxic chemicals, heavy metals, toxins from mold, etc.
– Endocrine disruptors that alter cellular metabolism, mainly found in the food we eat, cleaning and hygiene products, etc.
In addition, we take into account the toxicity produced by medications, especially those used in chronic treatments, electromagnetic pollution (radiation from cell phones, microwaves, high-voltage power lines, radio, television, and telephone antennas, mobile phones, video game consoles, and many others).
What does biological medicine contribute to the treatment of rheumatic diseases? Why is it more effective?
Knowing what we have just said, what biological medicine contributes is that it seeks out the factors that have triggered the pathology in each case. We go to the cause, not just treating the symptom. Of course, we will treat pain and inflammation if necessary, but always as allies of the immune system. What we do not do is create a situation of apparent health, as happens when only the symptoms are treated, which will not prevent the disease from progressing and the patient ultimately suffering from the advanced disease and the side effects of the treatment. We can do much better and achieve good results. Of course, the patient must take responsibility and change their bad habits for good, especially with regard to diet and nutritional supplementation, and moderate exercise, in addition to some therapeutic guidelines that can be easily followed at home.
In the end, the result is impressive. And that patient, who now knows what it means to be well, will continue to do the right things and stay in good health, enjoying healthy aging and a long life.
We achieve such good results because we address the root cause of the problem, not just the symptom. Furthermore, treatment is completely personalized, as the same causes can produce different diseases in different people, and different causes can produce similar diseases in different people.
What diagnostic techniques do you use?
In addition to the usual medical, biochemical, and radiological tests, we use specific analyses to determine the causes of rheumatic diseases and their consequences for each individual patient. We test for heavy metals, toxic chemicals, and mycotoxins. We thoroughly study the functionality and health of the intestine, its flora, the existence of fungal or bacterial infections (very common in these cases), dysbiosis, alterations in permeability, etc. We detect nutrient deficiencies: vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, essential fatty acids, etc. We rule out reactivated chronic viral diseases. In addition, we carry out a very comprehensive functional study to find out what is wrong, using American diagnostic equipment that helps us to identify what the body needs in order to improve.
With all this information, we can determine why the pathology has occurred and how we can improve, alleviate, or cure that specific patient.
And what therapeutic weapons do they use?
Since these cases present with pain as a common symptom, we can mention the different techniques for treating this pain.
It is also very effective for treating inflammation and, of course, for cartilage regeneration and cell regeneration techniques.
And for autoimmune diseases of the musculoskeletal system, what therapeutic techniques do you use?
Well, here we do have innovative therapies. The first thing we do is rebalance the pH and remove the acidifying environment from the tissues that causes and maintains the chronic process. We also control the pH and replenish any nutrients that are deficient according to the analyses. In addition, we use personalized serums for each case, ozone therapy, neurovegetative injection therapy, bioregulatory therapy, and therapeutic apheresis through double plasma filtration, among others.
Can we prevent these types of diseases?
Prevention is ideal and the smartest approach if there are already cases of rheumatic diseases in our family. This means that there is a genetic tendency that we must avoid activating. We can intervene in external factors and take a series of measures to ensure that we never have an internal environment that facilitates the expression of this genetic burden in our epigenetics.
To achieve this, we have developed the Prevent Program. After a series of tests, we schedule an annual preventive treatment protocol, with 10 therapy sessions at our facilities, which makes it more difficult for the disease to develop, although not impossible.
This program has been created based on the experience of many patients who, having previously had the condition, have remained asymptomatic for years by following our advice and through this simple maintenance. Of course, one of the most important aspects of the program is the patient's diet and nutrition. It is essential to follow a diet that is appropriate for our genetics (which will be indicated by one of the previous analyses) and in line with what we want to prevent.
Integrative medicine is ideal for the treatment and prevention of rheumatic diseases. This has been our experience since 1985. Many patients have passed through Biosalud Day Hospital and today bring the rest of their family to us.
