The HM Hospitales Pain Unit marks 10 years as a unique model in private healthcare, thanks to its comprehensive, multidisciplinary and technological approach to pain treatment through which thousands of patients have passed. This unit’s healthcare results achieved in 2024 are the best example of its leadership and the high demand, evidenced by the 14.3% increase in consultations and 30.5% growth in surgical activity—figures that reaffirm its role as a national reference in pain management.
Dr Juan Pérez Cajaraville, director of HM Hospitales Pain Unit, highlights the impact of these 10 years: ‘We have built a pioneering healthcare model in private healthcare, where we combine the experience of a multidisciplinary team with the most advanced technology. This allows us to address all types of pain, from the most common to the most complex, with innovative and personalised solutions. We see daily how every small detail significantly impacts our patients’ lives. Pain management is a crucial part of medicine, as it profoundly affects quality of life.’
The HM Hospitales Pain Unit in Madrid operates across eight of the Group’s hospitals in the region: the university hospitals HM Puerta del Sur, HM Sanchinarro, HM Montepríncipe, HM Torrelodones, HM Madrid Río, HM Madrid and HM Rivas, plus HM Vallés Hospital. The unit comprises over thirty healthcare professionals, including specialist doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and highly specialised psychologists, who are firmly committed to technological innovation and application of new therapies. This has created a unique private healthcare model based on comprehensive patient care, enabling personalised treatment adapted to each case. ‘Pain treatment is a field in constant evolution, allowing us to update and learn new techniques. We ensure our professionals receive continuous training and have the autonomy to make decisions that benefit our patients. We feel patients trust our capability, which makes us grow day by day,’ acknowledges Dr Pérez Cajaraville.
Technology to combat pain
Since its creation, the unit has embraced the most advanced technology for pain treatment. Among the most innovative techniques are radiofrequency, spinal cord stimulation, peripheral neurostimulation and HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound) therapy, which enables chronic pain treatment without invasive surgery, positioning HM Hospitals at the forefront of such therapies. ‘HIFU uses focused high-intensity ultrasound waves to generate heat in specific tissues. This localised heat can modify the activity of painful tissues without the need for invasive surgery. HIFU requires no incisions, is performed on an outpatient basis and can induce an analgesic effect by altering pain signal transmission to the brain. Thermal or mechanical stimulation can reduce inflammation and nerve hypersensitivity, thus alleviating chronic pain,’ highlights Dr Pérez Cajaraville.
Approaches such as implantable drug pumps, stem cell and regenerative procedures, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) combined with physical treatments, or the use of biological drugs and neuromodulators also play an essential role in improving patients’ quality of life, as chronic pain significantly affects physical and emotional wellbeing.
The importance of this unit lies in its approach to multiple pain types: From musculoskeletal pain (low back pain, joint pain, fibromyalgia) and neuropathic pain (postherpetic neuralgia, diabetic neuropathy, radicular pain) to cancer-related and post-surgical pain, head and neck disorder pain (trigeminal neuralgia, migraine, tension headache, orofacial pain), visceral pain (chronic abdominal pain, endometriosis), post-surgical or traumatic pain, and chronic pain.
All these approaches, combined with pharmacological treatment supervised by healthcare professionals, have a tangible impact on reducing pain in daily life. ‘Thanks to personalised treatments, patients can recover functionality and reduce dependence on analgesic drugs. Our goal is to continue offering cutting-edge treatments and maintain our position as a national and international reference in pain management,’ concludes Dr Pérez Cajaraville.
