Millions of Americans are suffering from medically unexplained symptoms. Michigan State University recently published a "revolutionary treatment plan" for those with the diagnosis of "medically unexplained symptoms". They mention,..."The most common symptoms are back pain, headache, fatigue as well as musculosketetal, nervous system and gastrointestinal complaints".
I see this situation when the provider does not "recognize" your symptoms and when your testing turns out "normal" you are often considered functional or psychosomatic or the new term medically unexplained symptoms. Stedman's Medical Dictionary defines functional as:"Not organic in origin; denoting a disorder with no known or detectable organic basis to explain the symptoms".
If you persist or your story is convincing, testing will be performed. Often the intent is to demonstrate: 1) no cancer 2) no abnormal results. Now you could become labeled even more "difficult"; you're so "functional" that you continue to have symptoms even after you are told emphatically that all tests are normal! When told to quit complaining, take 8 Peto-Bismol tablets a day to control your diarrhea and have a nice life, are you left feeling that the specialist has more important things to do? Like finding and treating cancer, instead of wasting time listing to your complaints? Do you see the physician extender at followup? The frustation on both provider and patient mounts.
In millions of patients the symptoms are not reflected in the findings on x-ray, biopsy or blood test results. You are left with continuing real complaints, problems, symptoms and no real answers or improvement.
I SEE THESE CONSEQUENCES EVERY DAY. I believe the normal testing tells what you do not have. Now we move on to see the actual cause of your problems and what measures might allow you to be better. In fairness "ordinary" physicians are taught our "disease-based" system. Little training seems devoted to unraveling and detecting functional disorders. Further more, insurance companies reimburse problem solving poorly. I was no different for the first 25 years of medical practice.
The MSU article goes on to point out that patients must realize they are not going to be "cured". I'm not convinced; I would implore interested patients in this category to continue seeking the legimate cause of their problems. If the authentic cause can be identified and dealt with, the effects (symptoms) could vanish. I often find abnormalities associated with the digestive tract (GERD, gallbladder problems) or problems with breathing while asleep (obstructive apnea) as genuine causes of far reaching effects through out the body. And in some situations both gastrointestinal and breathing disorders coexist.
I see this situation when the provider does not "recognize" your symptoms and when your testing turns out "normal" you are often considered functional or psychosomatic or the new term medically unexplained symptoms. Stedman's Medical Dictionary defines functional as:"Not organic in origin; denoting a disorder with no known or detectable organic basis to explain the symptoms".
If you persist or your story is convincing, testing will be performed. Often the intent is to demonstrate: 1) no cancer 2) no abnormal results. Now you could become labeled even more "difficult"; you're so "functional" that you continue to have symptoms even after you are told emphatically that all tests are normal! When told to quit complaining, take 8 Peto-Bismol tablets a day to control your diarrhea and have a nice life, are you left feeling that the specialist has more important things to do? Like finding and treating cancer, instead of wasting time listing to your complaints? Do you see the physician extender at followup? The frustation on both provider and patient mounts.
In millions of patients the symptoms are not reflected in the findings on x-ray, biopsy or blood test results. You are left with continuing real complaints, problems, symptoms and no real answers or improvement.
I SEE THESE CONSEQUENCES EVERY DAY. I believe the normal testing tells what you do not have. Now we move on to see the actual cause of your problems and what measures might allow you to be better. In fairness "ordinary" physicians are taught our "disease-based" system. Little training seems devoted to unraveling and detecting functional disorders. Further more, insurance companies reimburse problem solving poorly. I was no different for the first 25 years of medical practice.
The MSU article goes on to point out that patients must realize they are not going to be "cured". I'm not convinced; I would implore interested patients in this category to continue seeking the legimate cause of their problems. If the authentic cause can be identified and dealt with, the effects (symptoms) could vanish. I often find abnormalities associated with the digestive tract (GERD, gallbladder problems) or problems with breathing while asleep (obstructive apnea) as genuine causes of far reaching effects through out the body. And in some situations both gastrointestinal and breathing disorders coexist.