Saving Brains

New clinic, Instituto Chárbel, opens in Málaga, giving hope to stroke sufferers.

If you’ve had a loved one suffer from a stroke, you’ll know just how debilitating they can be. One minute your friend or family member is their bright, happy self, and the next, they’re struggling to speak, remember your name, and in some of the worst case scenarios, paralized. Unfortunately, strokes are becoming more common than we’d like to admit. According to Joaquín Gómez Canga-Argüelles, founder of Instituto Chárbel, in the next three years, one in every six Spaniards will suffer from a stroke.

There’s little we can do to prevent a stroke and ‘being healthy’ isn’t necessarily going to keep us out of the dark. Of course, some people are more prone than others, like those with diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension etc. and by the time we reach age 55, the probability of having one increases considerably. But we can be prepared. And we can manage the side effects.

The newly opened clinic in Malaga, Instituto Chárbel, specialises in neurorehabilitation, specifically helping those who have suffered from a stroke. Joaquín and his team have been helping people since 2008, when the clinic first opened in Jerez de la Frontera, but recently, the family decided to open a second clinic in the Costa del Sol.

Instituto Chárbel’s main aim is to help people, both children and adults, deal with brain damage following a stroke, offering a range of therapies like rehabilitation, neurological physiotherapy, speech therapy, neuropsychology, psychotherapy, occupational therapy and more.

Over the last 13 years, the clinic has treated more than 500 people, all who have achieved very good results. “Totally reversing the effects of a stroke isn’t impossible, but it’s uncommon,” said Joaquín. “We do our best to support the patient, helping to give them as much functionality and independence back as possible.

“We work closely with other clinics in Madrid, Barcelona and Navara, sharing information and knowledge so that we can deliver the best service to our patients,” he added. “Nowadays, we know so much more about brain damage and how to rescue the maximum possible functionality.”

For Joaquín, Instituto Chárbel is more than just a business, for back in 2006, he suffered an ischemic stroke of cardioembolic origin, which caused deficits in speech, walking and his right arm functionality. The rehabilitation process was done in a private clinic in Seville, where Ruben Duarte (the current director of Chárbel) was working. Joaquín went to the clinic every day for 10 months until he recovered, and today he is fully functional and independent. This was his motivation for founding Instituto Chárbel.

During the patient’s time at the clinic, Joaquín’s team will support both them and the family every step of the way. “The family is incredibly important in the recovery process,” said Joaquín. “In some cases, if the patient cannot speak, they may need to make decisions for them.” 

The new Malaga clinic is the only stroke and brain injury specific clinic in the area - a place of trust, a place of hope.

For more information, head to

www.institutocharbel.es/ or contact the team at info@institutocharbel.es

+34 952 00 11 24.