Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS): symptoms and treatment

Struggling with persistent symptoms that don’t seem to match a recognised condition? We’re here to help you uncover the link between mind and body for effective relief.

Get expert support and start managing your symptoms with our personalised treatment plans.

Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) is a diagnosis that’s made when you have persistent physical problems, such as headaches, dizziness or pain, which don’t seem to match any recognised medical condition.

All medical disorders have both physical and psychological causes. Our state of mind has an important influence on how we experience physical illness. Symptoms of common physical disorders, such as asthma, diabetes or arthritis, are strongly influenced by our mental state. Our state of mind has an impact on our immune system and on the levels of hormones such as cortisol in our bodies.

Being diagnosed with MUS is not uncommon, with around a quarter of people visiting GPs expressing symptoms which can’t immediately be diagnosed as a recognised medical condition. This doesn’t mean that your situation can’t be treated; it requires looking beyond a diagnosis of physical illness.

Possible diagnoses for MUS

While initial diagnoses may conclude that you have MUS, further physical examinations or psychological assessments can ultimately help to determine whether there are existing physical or mental health conditions that are the reason behind your physical complaints.
Physical diagnoses which may be given for MUS include:

  • Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) – Chronic stomach complaints
  • Fibromyalgia – Body pain and muscle tenderness
  • Migraines – Unexplained headaches, which you may have had scans or tests for
  • Non-epileptic attack disorder – Where you have what look like epileptic fits, but don’t have any problems with electrical activity in the brain normally seen in epilepsy.

Mental health diagnoses which may be given for MUS include:

  • Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)

Where excessive concern about physical aspects of your body cause severe distress and impacts on daily functioning.

  • Dissociative disorder

Physical symptoms such as fits and loss of memory, which seem to be caused by problems in your nervous system, but are actually brought on by excessive stress.

  • Somatic symptom disorder (SSD)

A group of psychological disorders where physical symptoms are experienced as a result of stress, usually lasting a long time.

TREATMENT AT YMM

C BT

CBT uses problem solving techniques to help you understand and manage your symptoms, as well as working through how mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression could be causing your physical complaints. Through learning new methods of coping with distress and worry, it’s possible that the physical pain that’s associated with your diagnosis will begin to improve.

MBCT

Mindfulness is accepted as an additional treatment to CBT for reducing the symptoms of MUS. This involves elements of CBT, with the addition of current psychological methods that can teach you to be present in the moment, as opposed to dwelling on what may or may not happen in the future.

Using breathing and meditation techniques, you’ll begin to learn how to clear your mind of negative thoughts, which may be contributing to the preoccupation and health anxiety that’s experienced if you have MUS.

BA

Behavioural activation is a focused way of scheduling activities and creating positive routines each day. It’s believed that a more positive frame of mind can improve your self-confidence and sense of wellbeing, thereby contributing to an improvement in symptoms and a proactive approach to facing life’s challenges.

EMDR

EMDR is a psychotherapy technique that helps people to process distressing memories and past trauma. EMDR can therefore be a useful way of treating MUS as it can help you to explore potential psychological factors that may be contributing to your current physical symptoms. EMDR can help to address past traumas or stressors, restructure unhealthy thought patterns, regulate emotions, build resilience and enhance body awareness.

DBT

DBT skills can also be helpful when it comes to treating MUS as it helps people to manage emotional distress, improve coping skills and enhance self-awareness. Skills taught in DBT, such as mindfulness, emotion regulation and distress tolerance can help people to recognise and manage the emotional and psychological factors that may be contributing to their MUS. By learning to regulate emotions effectively, tolerate distress, and improve communication in relationships, people can experience a reduction in the intensity and frequency of the physical symptoms they’re currently experiencing.

Medication

Particularly if your symptoms of depression and anxiety are chronic, medication may be used alongside psychotherapy to help to improve MUS.