Efficacy of Functional Relaxation and Patient Education in the Treatment of Somatoform Heart Disorders: A Randomized, Controlled Clinical Investigation

Background Recurrent heart problems and, especially, chest pain in the absence of somatic heart disease is a common finding, although challenging to treat. Objective The authors assessed a body-oriented approach to the somatic fixation frequently seen in these patients. Method They conducted a controlled study to assess the effect of functional relaxation in 22 patients with non-specific chest pain. The primary outcome measures were self-reported changes on the subscales Somatization and Anxiety of the Symptom Checklist of Derogatis, as well as the subscale Cardiovascular Complaints of the Giessen Inventory of Complaints. Results Significant improvements of the primary outcome measures were observed in patients treated with functional relaxation, whereas no significant improvements could be seen in the control group. Conclusion Functional relaxation appears to be a safe and effective, non-pharmacological approach in the treatment of non-specific chest pain.