Dr. Adams
08-09-2007, 01:53 PM
"A therapeutic approach similar to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) significantly relieves symptoms of patients with multiple medically unexplained physical symptoms.
Even after appropriate physical evaluations and laboratory testing have ruled out any physical cause, many patients continue to experience symptoms and seek care from primary health care providers.
CBT is usually used to treat mood disorders. The researchers explain in their paper that the intervention focuses on the reduction of physical distress and preoccupation with symptoms through relaxation training, cognitive restructuring and similar approaches.
When evaluated immediately after completion of the study, subjects in the intervention group were significantly less likely to report physical symptoms and depressive symptoms. Substantial relief of medically unexplained physical symptoms was observed in about 60% of the patients who completed the intervention, and persisted for months afterward," .
More of the intervention group were rated as "much improved" or "very much improved" at the end of treatment compared with controls . Assessments for depression also found that more in the intervention groups were "much/very much improved".
The effects of the intervention were not only statistically significant but also clinically meaningful.
The degree of improvement gradually diminished over time. At the 6-month evaluation, the only variable that remained statistically significantly improved in the intervention group was the severity rating of somatic symptoms.
A major component of our approach is validating the patients' experience, and concentrating on how they deal with it."
Ann Fam Med. 2007;5:328-335.
Even after appropriate physical evaluations and laboratory testing have ruled out any physical cause, many patients continue to experience symptoms and seek care from primary health care providers.
CBT is usually used to treat mood disorders. The researchers explain in their paper that the intervention focuses on the reduction of physical distress and preoccupation with symptoms through relaxation training, cognitive restructuring and similar approaches.
When evaluated immediately after completion of the study, subjects in the intervention group were significantly less likely to report physical symptoms and depressive symptoms. Substantial relief of medically unexplained physical symptoms was observed in about 60% of the patients who completed the intervention, and persisted for months afterward," .
More of the intervention group were rated as "much improved" or "very much improved" at the end of treatment compared with controls . Assessments for depression also found that more in the intervention groups were "much/very much improved".
The effects of the intervention were not only statistically significant but also clinically meaningful.
The degree of improvement gradually diminished over time. At the 6-month evaluation, the only variable that remained statistically significantly improved in the intervention group was the severity rating of somatic symptoms.
A major component of our approach is validating the patients' experience, and concentrating on how they deal with it."
Ann Fam Med. 2007;5:328-335.