Functional pain syndromes (FPS) are not uncommon and there are likely to be people living their lives putting up with a range of aches, pains and symptoms without knowing.
More common in women than men, though this maybe in part due to more women seeking help, functional pain syndromes account for a great deal of suffering.
Functional pain syndromes include:
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Headaches/migraines
- Chronic back pain
- Chronic neck pain
- Pelvic pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic widespread pain
- TMJ dysfunction
- Bladder dysfunction (interstitial cystitis)
These are often accompanied by anxiety, depression (or low in mood but not actually depressed), hypermobility, perfectionist traits, early life stressors and complex lifestyles with demands or stress and difficulties that reverberate through the body as painful conditions.
In this recently published article, Richmond looks at functional pain syndromes, which can be overcome with the right understanding and action.
understand pain 