Medical Health Encyclopedia

Somatoform pain disorder


InjuryDiseasesNutritionPoison
SymptomsSurgeryTestSpecial Topic
Overview Symptoms Treatment Prevention
Alternative Names

Pain disorder


Symptoms

The main symptom of somatoform pain disorder is chronic pain that lasts for several months and limits a person's work, relationships, and other activities.

Patients are often very worried or stressed about their pain.


Signs and tests

A thorough medical evaluation, including laboratory work and radiologic scans (MRI, CT, ultrasound, x-ray), is done to determine possible causes of the pain.

Somatoform pain disorder is diagnosed when these tests do not reveal a clear source of the pain.



Review Date: 08/09/2010
Reviewed By: Linda Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Michelle Benger Merrill, MD, Instructor in Clinical Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).




Find a Therapist
PR Newswire