Treatment for Mysterious Pain
Doctors may now have a better way to treat unexplained pain and weakness. Many patients report symptoms like those with no clear underlying cause, but now treatments are being developed that are effective nonetheless.
Previously, psychological treatment was normally recommended, but patients found this condescending and would refuse to follow up. Now doctors who cannot find a physical cause for the patient's symptoms are instead turning to a therapeutic technique that does not seem to stigmatize the patient of doubt their experiences.
This treatment, a self-help workbook patients complete on their own or with the guidance of a nurse at the doctor's office, led to significant improvement in most of the patients who tried it. Those patients were also more satisfied and felt they had been better taken care of.