[Psychosomatic pain syndrome of the skeletal system]

A fifteen year old girl was admitted to our hospital with intractable back pain since the last 5 1/2 years. The provisional diagnosis was M. Bechterew. Our patient attended school sporadically during this period, her regular activity was severely curtailed, and she was under continuous Benzodiazepin medication. Analysis of patient-physician relationship during the course of the disease revealed a psychogenic etiology of the present disease. An evaluation of family interactions gave further indications for the psychosomatic origin of the complaint. There was a characteristic familiar dysfunction as observed frequently in other families with psychosomatic disorders. Family therapy including psychotherapy of the patient in our psychosomatic unit for four weeks was followed by a complete resolution of symptoms in our patient and the patients father. The father was suffering for a number of years from a chronic gastrointestinal disorder of unknown etiology. The psychological development of our patient was favourable. She developed an autonomous behaviour stabilisation of her self-conscious and normal family interactions.