Valls Primary Care Centre Runs Fibromyalgia Workshops to Boost Patient Lives

A primary care centre in Valls is running weekly workshops to help fibromyalgia patients better understand their condition and improve their quality of life.

The sessions at the Ciutat de Valls Primary Care Centre target people dealing with the chronic illness's hallmark symptoms—persistent pain, fatigue, anxiety, and cognitive fog. Organised by the Catalan health service, the programme began about 18 months ago after officials identified patients who felt lost in the healthcare system. Most participants are women, reflecting the condition's higher prevalence among them, though men occasionally join.

Nurses Patricia Fernández, with 31 years in primary care and a focus on community health, and Maria Nicoloff, experienced in prevention and quality-of-life improvements, lead the modular workshops. They blend educational talks on the disease's mechanisms with practical exercises. "We're on the front lines, helping the community enhance its health," Fernández said.

The initiative emphasises three pillars: education about bodily changes, self-care through habits like emotion management, nutrition, sleep, and exercise, and building community support. Participants learn that fibromyalgia stems from the brain's central processing centre misinterpreting signals—turning light touch into pain, for instance—rather than any structural damage. "The pain is real, but it's not a broken body," Nicoloff explained, addressing common fears of degeneration.

Newly diagnosed patients benefit most, the nurses noted, as long-term sufferers often hold entrenched misconceptions that hinder mindset shifts. "If you catch someone recently diagnosed, explain what's happening, and reassure them it's not degenerative—it aids their progress," Fernández said. Building new habits takes at least one to two years of consistent attendance.

Attendees report transformative effects. Alexandra Torregrossa, who endured a drawn-out diagnosis process marked by doctors dismissing her symptoms, now feels understood. "It took a long time for doctors to see how the disease works. They'd say they don't know what's wrong, or that nothing's there, and depression sets in," she said. The workshops have fostered acceptance: "Our teachers get us and help us embrace what we have."

Sandra Duarte, another participant, reinvented her life after quitting work due to the illness. "Patricia and Maria give 100%. We've got tools to manage it differently. I used to stay home mornings; now I walk often," she said. "They stress positivity: 'I am capable.' We must keep coming—it's ambitious and needs continuity."

The programme counters isolation, a common initial response that worsens symptoms, by promoting knowledge and self-acceptance for daily coping.