Der Schmerz
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A significant number of pain syndromes to be found in all medical specialties, including pain therapy, can be ascribed to a group that according to the classification of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) is referred to as "pain syndromes with dysfunctional etiology," or according to internal medical terminology as "functional somatic syndromes" (functional disorders), or based on psychiatric nomenclature as "somatoform disorders." Frequent syndromes exhibiting pain as the major symptom include fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic pelvic pain (CPP), tension headache, chronic myoarthropathies of the masticatory system (MAP), and prostatodynia. It is important for practitioners of both somatic and psychosocial medicine to be aware of the terminology used in other fields and the frequency of comorbidities of the individual syndromes. To improve communication between somatic and psychosocial medicine as well as with patients, the authors recommend that pain therapists base their diagnosis on the ICD-10 classification and refrain from using a separate pain therapy nomenclature.
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If a patient presents with symptoms of a functional somatic pain syndrome in the primary care setting, it is important to confirm the diagnosis based on a thorough history and physical examination including selected diagnostic tests to exclude somatic diseases with a similar clinical presentation. Important aspects of psychosomatic medicine in the primary care setting are to discuss the diagnosis, treatment options, and prognosis of the functional psychosomatic pain syndromes with the patient in detail. ⋯ A psychiatric-psychosomatic evaluation might be indicated. Based on criteria of evidence-based medicine, psychotherapy and/or tricyclic antidepressants seem to be the most promising treatment approaches for the functional somatic pain syndromes.
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Currently it is unclear whether functional somatic syndromes can be explained by one common underlying functional syndrome. In any case it does not seem justified to view functional somatic syndromes as purely psychological disorders (somatized anxiety or depression). Psychiatric comorbidity and life time stress including traumatisations are mainly, but not exclusively responsible for triggering health care utilisation. ⋯ The predominance of female patients can be due to gender specific illness behaviour as well as to estrogen-induced changes in pain sensitivity. In sum, functional somatic syndromes currently are best explained by a biopsychosocial model of predisposing, triggering and maintaining factors. More research is needed particularly to clarify the role of genetic and of cultural factors.
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Within clinical practice fibromyalgia is diagnosed according to the classification criteria of the American College of Rheumatology. The examination of the tender points is still to be standardized. By using additional diagnostic criteria fibromyalgia changes into a polysymptomatic syndrom with multiple functional and psychic symptoms. ⋯ Patient education, medical training therapy, physical therapy (heat or cold) and relaxation therapy are recommended. There is a moderate evidence for the effectiveness of tricyclic antidepressants and aerobic training. The effectiveness of multicomponent therapy in fibromyalgia is still to be demonstrated.
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The symptom complex called prostatitis represents a multifactorial problem of unclear etiology. Standardized diagnostic and therapeutic approaches do not exist. Controlled studies which fulfil evidence-based medical criteria are missing. A review of the currently available literature leads to the conclusion that a multimodal therapy concept should be developed and examined.