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Somatization and chronic pain
Author(s) -
BirketSmith M.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
acta anaesthesiologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1399-6576
pISSN - 0001-5172
DOI - 10.1034/j.1399-6576.2001.450911.x
Subject(s) - medicine , somatization , chronic pain , physical therapy , psychiatry , anxiety
The experience of pain is related not only to tissue damage and physical illness, but also to mental phenomena including depression, anxiety and somatization. Somatization is common among chronic pain patients and presents special problems in management and treatment. Somatoform patients are often given inappropriate diagnoses, treated for non‐existent depressive disorders, and exposed to multiple, superfluous investigations. Psychological models of chronic pain and somatization are presented, and treatment issues including psychotherapy and the use of antidepressants are discussed.