Fuerteventura General Hospital Launches Specialized Neuropathic Pain Clinic

The General Hospital of Fuerteventura Virgen de la Peña, part of the Canary Health Service, has been offering a dedicated neuropathic‑pain clinic since September. The initiative became possible thanks to the reinforcement of the Neurology department with new specialists, a concerted effort by the island’s Health Services Management to provide a multidisciplinary approach in coordination with the Anesthesiology team, which runs the Pain Unit, and primary‑care professionals.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), chronic pain should not be viewed merely as a symptom but as a disease in its own right. It is defined as pain that occurs continuously (more than four days a week) and persists for at least three months. Among the various types, neuropathic pain is one of the most frequent and complex to treat.

In observance of World Pain Day on 17 October, the hospital’s Neurology service issued a public awareness message about this condition, which affects roughly 26,000 people on the island, of whom about 6,450 suffer from neuropathic pain.

“Neuropathic pain does not respond to conventional analgesics, and with current treatments, less than 60 % of patients achieve adequate pain relief,” explains Montserrat González Platas, neurologist and promoter of the new clinic.

Once established, neuropathic pain can accompany a patient for months or even years. Its average course lasts around 30 months, during which the nervous system keeps the pain signal active without an evident cause, disrupting sleep, mood, and overall quality of life. Studies estimate that 85 % of patients report a significant impact on daily life, 60 % experience sleep disorders, and 34 % develop associated depression.

“Early diagnosis can make the difference in managing neuropathic pain,” González Platas adds. She also coordinates the neuropathic‑pain study group of the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN) and is a member of the Canary Neurology Society’s (SOCANE) neuropathic‑pain study group.

Prevalence in Spain and Europe

• Spain: Over 30 % of the population experiences some form of pain (SEN data). More than 5 % suffer daily, and at least 20 % have endured pain for more than three months. Approximately 50 % of primary‑care consultations are pain‑related, with 25 % of those being neuropathic.
• Europe: About 20 % of Europeans live with chronic pain; of these, 25 % have neuropathic pain, amounting to roughly 50 million people. Each year, around 1 % of the European population develops neuropathic pain, which is considered one of the greatest challenges in chronic‑pain management.

With the launch of this dedicated clinic, the Health Area of Fuerteventura reinforces its commitment to comprehensive care for chronic‑pain patients, promoting a multidisciplinary approach that aims to improve their quality of life and overall well‑being.

Photo captions: Montserrat González Platas (second from the right) with other Neurology staff during an internal training session; a patient attended by Dr. Danilo Vargas, Neurology specialist at the General Hospital of Fuerteventura Virgen de la Peña.