Health ministry of republic of moldova the university of medicine and pharmacy nicolae testemiţanu

Key terms:
 
psychosomatic medicine; psychosomatic pain; psycho-
somatic (somatoform) diseases; "Type A" personality;
 
conversion reac-
tion; somatization disorder; conversion disorder; hypochondriasis; pain 
disorder. 
 
1. Psychosomatic medicine 
Psychosomatic medicine
is an interdisciplinary medical field stu-
dying the relationships of social, psychological, and behavioral factors 
on bodily processes and well-being in humans and animals. Science has 
demonstrated that there is an incredibly powerful link between the mind 
and the body. The influence that the mind has over physical processes 
including the manifestations of physical disabilities that are based on 
intellectual infirmities, rather than actual injuries or physical limitations, 
that are treated by phrases such as the power of suggestion, the use of 
"positive thinking" and concepts like "mind over matter". 
The academic forbearer of the modern field of behavioral medicine 
and a part of the practice of consultation-liaison psychiatry, psychoso-
matic medicine integrates interdisciplinary evaluation and management 
involving diverse specialties including psychiatry, psychology, neurolo-
gy, surgery, allergy, dermatology and psychoneuroimmunology. 
Clinical situations where mental processes act as a major factor affect-
ting medical outcomes are areas where psychosomatic medicine has 
competence.
Psychosomatic medicine is considered a subspecialty of the fields 
of psychiatry and neurology. Medical treatments and psychotherapy are 
used to treat psychosomatic disorders.
Psychosomatic pain
is the most frequently diagnosed and least un-
derstood form of both acute and chronic back pain. Significantly, most 

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treatment resistant chronic back pain sufferers, those with unresolved 
back pain, meaning that there is no clear diagnosis, by definition suffer 
from an underlying and misdiagnosed psychological ailment or conditi-
on. While medical schools are beginning to address this very significant 
medical subject, psychosomatic illness has long been relegated to the 
back burner of medical education. Consequently, medical practitioners 
are simply not prepared for or able to understand, much less treat, this 
condition. As a result, many individuals are misdiagnosed with this "sca-
pegoat condition," leaving individuals with very real physiological, 
structural, and medical conditions undiagnosed. 
Unfortunately, while solutions are available, they are still relatively 
unknown. As the medical community begins to educate itself, so they 
can be better prepared to deal with this condition, we are beginning to 
see the first steps towards a holistic approach to this problem. Psychoso-
matic medicine has been talked about for centuries, even Sigmund Freud 
was fascinated by it in his time, yet it is only in the last few years that 
we see a real movement to deal with this ongoing epidemic.