Medically Unexplained Symptoms: A Brain-Centered Approach

by Robert W. Baloh

Overview

Despite the rapid advances in medical science, the majority of people who visit a doctor have medically unexplained symptoms (MUS), symptoms that remain a mystery despite extensive diagnostic studies. The most common MUS are back pain, abdominal pain, headache, fatigue, and dizziness. This book addresses the obstacles of managing people with MUS in our modern day society from both a historical and contemporary perspective.

Most MUS are psychosomatic in origin, caused by a complex interaction between nature and nurture, between biological and psychosocial factors. Psychosomatic symptoms are as real and as severe as the symptoms associated with structural damage to the brain. Unique and concise, the book explores the biological and psychosocial mechanisms, the clinical features, and current and future treatments of common MUS.

Exploring the unsolved in an accessible manner, Medically Unexplained Symptoms invokes the methodologies of medical science, history, and sociology to investigate how brain flaws can lead to debilitating symptoms.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783030591809
Publisher:	Springer International Publishing
Publication date:	12/01/2020
Edition description:	1st ed. 2021
Pages:	204
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Robert W. Baloh MD

Distinguished Professor of Neurology

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Los Angeles, CA

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Overview of Medically Unexplained Symptoms.- Chapter 2. Early Ideas on Hysteria.- Chapter 3. The Golden Age of Hysteria.- Chapter 4. Psychosomatic Illness in the 20th Century.- Chapter 5. Biological Mechanisms of Psychosomatic Symptoms.- Chapter 6. Psychosocial Mechanisms of Psychosomatic Symptoms.- Chapter 7. Low Back Pain, Abdominal Pain and Headache.- Chapter 8. Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.- Chapter 9. Chronic Dizziness.- Chapter 10. Treatment of Psychosomatic Symptoms.