Main description:

This book uniquely discusses an approach to illnesses for which the causes are unknown. It fills the gaps in the literature by relaying research on functional illness, identifying and assessing various options, and indicating some decision-making suggestions that should help clinicians and patients think about therapy.

Special considerations for functional illness include "probability" explanations based on the experience of others, serious consideration of the severity of symptoms before treatments are applied, and balancing the risks, costs, and consequences of treatment; including the patient's thoughts and attitudes is critical for success in treating functional illness.

Unique and comprehensive, Functional Illness is an invaluable reference for medical physicians of all specialties who wish to understand better and identify functional illness symptoms.

Contents:

Section I: The basics.- What is functional illness?.- How attitudes toward functional illness has changed over the years.- How does medical research deal with functional illness.- The role of the patient.- The approach of functional symptoms and how it differs from traditional approaches.- Psychological and social aspects of functional illness.- Decision-making in treatment of functional illness.- Basic Science related to functional symptoms.- Altered sensations.- Central sensitization and central sensitization syndromes.- Allodynia, hyperalgesia, dysgeusia, dysosmia, hyperacusis.- Stress and illness.- Environmental illness.- Section II: Specific symptoms.- Anxiety.- Depression.- Chronic pain syndromes: Neck pain, shoulder pain, ear pain, facial pain, generalized pain, myofascial pain and trigger points.- Dizziness.- Headaches.- Tinnitus.- Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue.- Other symptoms.- Section III: Treatment.- Pharmacology of functional symptoms.- Medication side-effects and illness.- Alternative medical treatments.- Vitamins.- Diet.