The General Hospital of Granollers has established a new program to improve the quality of life of patients with multiple myeloma based on physical exercise.
The initiative, EnforMMA, is a project of the pharmaceutical company Sanofi and seeks to combat the symptoms caused by the second most frequent hematological cancer.
Multiple myeloma destroys the bone marrow and leads to, among other things, anemia, bone damage, and viral and bacterial infections.
EnforMMA is based on the prescription of various exercises to work strength and flexibility in two weekly sessions of between 40 and 60 minutes. They can do the activity at home or in the hospital. The initiative has been presented coinciding with World Multiple Myeloma Day, which is commemorated this Tuesday.
The head of the Hematology Service of the General Hospital of Granollers, Esther Sancho, has pointed out that regular physical activity improves attitude because “it makes you feel more positive and increases the relationship with other people”.
Sancho has indicated that doctors make recommendations based on each patient and that is why “an investigation is carried out to find out how they are at a functional level.” He has calculated that around three weeks there are some first positive results, although it varies in each person.
The pharmaceutical company Sanofi highlights that EnforMMA seeks to promote safe and appropriate physical activation for each user profile.
The program has the collaboration of the Spanish Community of Patients with Multiple Myeloma (CEMMP) and the Spanish Association of People Affected by Lymphoma, Myeloma and Leukemia (AEAL), and with the endorsement of the Spanish Society of Hematology and Hemotherapy (SEHH).
The president of AEAL, Marcos Martínez, thanked the project for “visualizing” this disease and “for contributing to the improvement of the day-to-day life” of patients.
Although they can carry out the exercises in the hospital, the same center has a hospital prescription kit that complements the treatment for patients once they have been discharged, so that they can carry out the activities at home.
Juan Torrijos Pérez, 63 years old and a resident of Granollers, was diagnosed with the pathology at the end of 2018 and began treatment in the first quarter of 2019. “I have gone four years without a relapse,” he celebrated. In his opinion, “continuous improvement” is needed with these diseases and he appreciates that there are proposals that follow this line.
Torrijos has advised “to have maximum confidence” with the medical personnel, because “months pass” until it is known what patients face after they are notified of the diagnosis of the disease. a struggle even with death,” he added.
