Treatment of Morbidity with Atypical Chest Pain

Overview

Journal Can Fam Physician

Specialties General Medicine
Public Health

Date 2011 Jan 26

PMID 21263912

Authors

A Cott

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The appropriate management of atypical chest pain requires an integration of medical and behavioural treatments. Unnecessary medicalization can increase morbidity. A sensitivity to the behavioural factors contributing to symptoms and disability may reduce both. The purpose of this paper is to provide physicians with a cognitive-behavioural perspective of the nature of morbidity and disability associated with chronic chest discomfort; some strategies for detecting heretofore unsuspected disability associated with chronic chest pain and related discomfort in patients with organic findings (both cardiac and non-cardiac), as well those with no identifiable disease process or organic cause; and some simple behavioural and cognitive-behavioural therapeutic techniques for treating and preventing such problems.

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