Considering Depression and Anxiety
OVERVIEW Depression and anxiety are common in patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS); most patients have elements of both MUS are not the same as depression and anxiety, although MUS…
GENERAL & FAMILY MEDICINE
Behavioural Approaches to Treatment
OVERVIEW CBT works by helping patients find ways to change their behaviour and put those changes into practice Behaviour change involves setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time orientated)…
Cognitive Approaches to Treatment
OVERVIEW CBT can be effective for a wide range of functional symptoms Cognitive approaches do not aim to uncover the cause, they address perpetuating factors for symptoms CBT is not…
Pharmacological Treatment
OVERVIEW There is good evidence supporting the use of antidepressants in functional somatic symptoms; patients do not have to be depressed to derive benefit Other atypical analgesics such as gabapentin…
Principles of Assessment and Treatment
OVERVIEW Listen to the patient Consider the possibility of medically unexplained symptoms (MUS)—think about epidemiology and about what is common in particular age groups Look for typical clinical features—of both…
Managing Medically Unexplained Symptoms in The Consultation
OVERVIEW Enhanced consultation skills enable doctors to work with patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) in creative, personalised and effective ways Deep listening and empathy strengthen the therapeutic value of…
Widespread Musculoskeletal Pain
OVERVIEW Widespread pain involves multisite body pain often with symptoms in other body systems. It includes the syndrome of fibromyalgia Patients with widespread pain often have associated sleep and concentration…
Pelvic and Reproductive System Symptoms
OVERVIEW >50% of patients with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) have no obvious underlying pathology The diagnosis of functional CPP should be given as a positive statement not an expression of…
