The somatoform disorders are a group of mental problems characterized by physical complaints that aren't caused by a physical disease or condition. Generally, the patient complains of uncomfortable physical sensations or the inability to walk or move the arms or legs. The physical symptoms must be serious enough to interfere with the patient's job or relationships, and must be symptoms that the patient can't control voluntarily.

As a group, the somatoform disorders are difficult to recognize and treat because patients often have long histories of medical or surgical treatment with several different doctors. In addition, the physical symptoms are not under the patient's conscious control, so that he or she isn't intentionally trying to confuse the doctor or complicate the process of diagnosis. Somatoform disorders are, however, a significant problem for the health care system because patients with these disturbances overuse medical services.

Somatization disorder was...