Laura Gutiérrez, director and physiotherapist of Consulting de Recuperación Global in Bilbao, presents the case of Rita, a 77-year-old woman with a long history of sleep alteration and chronic neuropathic pain after an intervention for carpal tunnel syndrome. As she explains, the patient had been sleeping very few hours for approximately two years with unrestful rest, waking up very easily and progressively developing a growing fear of night. To this condition were added sensations of stiffness, tingling, residual pain in the hand and a significant burden of anguish and anxiety that worsened over time.
From the clinical assessment, the team interpreted the case within a context of central sensitization and alteration of the autonomic nervous system, where pain and poor rest fed back on each other. Therefore, it was decided to incorporate NESA as the main tool to intervene on this dysregulation and favor a global improvement of the condition. As Rita herself relates, one of the first positive sensations was greater body relaxation and a progressive decrease in anguish. Although evolution has been gradual, due to the complexity and time of evolution of the problem, advances began to be observed in sleep quality and in anticipatory fear of going to bed.
The current objective of treatment is to continue improving rest, reduce dependence on nighttime medication and achieve the disappearance of that experience of anxiety associated with the moment of sleeping. The case reflects the value of a non-invasive approach in complex conditions where sleep, pain and anguish are deeply connected.
