Functional Somatic Syndromes

This article is a classic reference on this common but poorly understood group of disorders.  It is well worth studying if you are interested in this topic.  The large group of illnesses that fall under the rubric of Medically Unexplained Symptoms are functional somatic syndromes.  

Functional somatic syndromes.
Barsky AJ, Borus JF. 
Ann Intern Med. 1999 Jun 1;130(11):910-21 

Link to download of Full Text of article.

The term functional somatic syndrome has been applied to several related syndromes characterized more by symptoms, suffering, and disability than by consistently demonstrable tissue abnormality. These syndromes include multiple chemical sensitivity, the sick building syndrome, repetition stress injury, the side effects of silicone breast implants, the Gulf War syndrome, chronic whiplash, the chronic fatigue syndrome, the irritable bowel syndrome, and fibromyalgia. Patients with functional somatic syndromes have explicit and highly elaborated self-diagnoses, and their symptoms are often refractory to reassurance, explanation, and standard treatment of symptoms.