The Musculoskeletal System
Lesson 2: Diseases and Disorders of the Feet
Section IV: Arthritis of the Feet
2-23
2-23. PSYCHOSOMATIC FOOT DISORDERS
An individual with a psychosomatic illness has physical symptoms that have a psychological or emotional origin ("psycho" means mind and "soma" means body).
a. Studies of Psychosomatic. Studies have revealed that the mind and the body are not separate. What affects the mind often affects the body. It is common for a person to have a headache after quarreling with someone or to have to urinate frequently before an examination. More serious psychosomatic illnesses include peptic ulcer, eczema, colitis, and bronchial asthma. Foot diseases may also be included in a listing of these illnesses that are caused by psychological or emotional stress; for example, some skin diseases of the feet.
b. Signs/Symptoms of Psychosomatic Disorders. Treating the symptoms may relieve the condition and soothe the patient, but only treating the symptoms will not solve the problem. The patient must have psychoanalytic help to understand his problem. Remember that the patient with a psychosomatic illness is really sick. He is not pretending or imagining his symptoms; therefore, he cannot just turn off his illness at will. Be careful not to belittle or make fun of him when you are treating him or making arrangements for him to be treated elsewhere. Such treatment will not help the patient get well.
