[Is "functional somatic syndrome" clinically useful?]

Abstract

The functional somatic syndrome is applied to several syndromes characterized by medically unexplained physical symptoms, such as irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc. Both physical and psychiatric treatments are usually necessary for these syndromes and the term functional somatic syndrome was advocated to inform clinicians in America of this fact. However, We believe this term will not be useful in Japan, because most Japanese clinicians are already aware of this fact and treatment is different in each syndrome included in FSS.