Psychophysiology of visceral pain syndromes

Abstract

Psychosomatics of visceral pain syndromes. From a psychosomatic point of view visceral pain syndromes can be classified into nociceptive (somatic and visceral) pain syndromes without and with maladaptive pain coping resp.psychic comorbidity, functional pain syndromes (typical symptom clusters without biochemical or structural abnormalities in clinical routine diagnostics) and psychic disorders with pain as main symptom. With regard to the etiology and the course of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) as representatives of somatic pain syndromes and of irritable bowel syndrome/chronic pelvic pain as representatives of functional pain syndromes empirically validated psychosocial aspects are summarized: Personality traits, illness behavior, daily hassles, life events and psychic comorbidity and effects of psychotherapy. Psychosocial factors are decisive in the etiology and the course of functional pain syndromes as determinants of their severity (psychosomatic disease in a narrow sense). Psychosocial factors are not decisive for the etiology, but for the course of IBD (psychosomatic disease in a broader sense). Within general pain therapy of visceral pain syndromes a biopsychosocial approach should be applied right from the beginning (psychosomatic basic care). Within special pain therapy of visceral pain syndromes a qualified psychiatric - psychotherapeutic diagnostics and co-therapy should be mandatory.