Clinically, we often encounter patients who can describe their own symptoms similar to orthopedic diseases, such as neck and shoulder pain, numbness, dizziness, etc., but all kinds of medical examinations are normal and cannot explain its body. The symptoms above are not well treated by orthopedics, and this part of the disease may be a somatization disorder.

What is a somatization disorder?

Somatization disorder, a chronic psychiatric disorder, is also a functional disease characterized by the presence of one or more frequently repeated physical symptoms that can involve any system or organ of the body, including pain and Gastrointestinal discomfort and symptoms of the nervous system, etc. Many of these symptoms cannot be explained by medicine. After various medical examinations, it is impossible to confirm that any organic lesions are sufficient to explain their physical symptoms, often leading to repeated medical treatment and significant long-term treatment. Social dysfunction. Patients are often accompanied by anxiety or depression.

Causes of somatization disorders

1. Psychological factors: Some studies have found that patients with somatoform disorders have abnormal neurotic characteristics. They tend to focus on their own bodies and not their negative life events, resulting in decreased sensory threshold and increased sensitivity to body sensation. It produces a variety of physical discomforts. That is, the patient's subconscious mind can easily amplify his physical feelings and negative perceptions of the disease, and over-convert it into harmful and painful feelings.

2. Physiological factors: Patients with somatoform disorders have structural dysfunction of the brainstem network, and the patient's internal stimuli are enhanced. Various physiological changes are constantly being felt. Over time, these physiological changes may be experienced by the patient as physical symptoms.

3. Social and cultural factors: Negative life events, family environment and social culture may all be the cause of the disease, which may be stored outside the scope of consciousness and thus manifested as somatic symptoms.

Relationship between somatization disorders and orthopedics

Somatic disorders can be expressed almost as systemic symptoms of the body, such as the nervous system, respiratory system, circulatory system, digestive diseases, etc. When it manifests as a symptom of the nervous system, headache, dizziness, and head heavyness may occur. When it manifests as a symptom of the musculoskeletal system, there may be pain in the neck, shoulders and limbs, etc.; when it manifests as a symptom of the autonomic nervous system, numbness, ant feeling, burning sensation of the limb may occur. These may mislead patients to think that they have suffered from orthopedic diseases such as cervical spondylosis and lumbar disc herniation.

Therefore, when patients have symptoms such as chronic neck and shoulder pain, numbness, dizziness, etc., repeated treatment is not good, and medical examination is difficult to explain, it is necessary to consider whether it is a somatization disorder. After excluding the orthopedic diseases, It is recommended that patients go to the encephalopathy psychology clinic to further confirm the diagnosis. The treatment is mainly through the combination of anti-anxiety and anti-depression drugs, psychotherapy and social family care. If it is treated promptly, the prognosis is better.