Common symptoms include persistent back pain, IBS, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, headaches, non-cardiac chest pain and chronic fatigue among others. Accounting for between 36 and 50 per cent of GP consultations, the annual costs to the NHS is estimated to be £3 billion or £18 billion when loss of productivity and quality of life is taken into account*.
Effective treatments for these health problems – often referred to as ‘medically unexplained symptoms’ (MUS) - are hard to find and as such can cause much distress to both patients and healthcare professionals. Having undergone extensive and expensive medical tests and scans which show no underlying cause for the symptoms, these patients are often referred to mental health services as a last resort. However few of them accept these referrals as their primary physical symptoms would remain unresolved.
Given this lack of options for patients and GPs alike, Professor Helen Payne at the University of Hertfordshire, has developed, from research, an NHS service which employs The BodyMind Approach™ (TBMA). By encouraging participants to explore their symptoms through, for example, experimenting creatively with mindful movement, the programme helps them adopt a different perspective lessening the impact of these health problems on their lives.
GPs in Hertfordshire have already been taking advantage of this new service and sending patients to courses in Ware, Hemel Hempstead, Letchworth, Stevenage and Hatfield. Research from pilot studies and the courses delivered show that over 60% have reported an increase in their overall wellbeing, with participants benefiting from increased activity as well as decreased symptom distress, anxiety and depression. These benefits were still being sustained six months later.
This increase in wellbeing is also suggested by data showing fewer GP visits, less medication and fewer hospital visits/admissions, providing much needed relief for the NHS in terms of increased capacity for GPs, diminished waiting times for patients, reduced usage of expensive health resources such as scans, tests, investigations, hospital appointments and visits to AE.
Professor Payne commented: “Local commissioning has so evidently failed patients by often offering treatments to people directed solely at mental health services. This innovative service helps participants to learn to listen to their physical symptoms and find their own way to manage them and minimise distress. We are now working hard to expand this programme to other parts of the country and are also piloting tailored, individual short term courses for those who prefer a one-on-one approach.”
Case Study
Liz, a retired teacher in her early 60’s, attended the TBMA workshops last October. She has been suffering from chronic fatigue as well as recurring back and neck pain for most of her life. Over the years these symptoms have contributed to her low energy levels and depression, resulting in her taking early, ill-health retirement when she was in her early 40s.
Liz has visited her GP countless of times and had regular blood tests, but these always came back normal, leaving her GP at a loss on the next course of action. She was referred to a psychologist to discuss strategies to cope with her depression and was also prescribed various medication by her psychiatrist. Although helpful, none of these were sufficient to fully resolve all her difficulties as they did not address the chronic fatigue nor the muscle and joint pains.
Her low energy levels means that Liz sometimes has difficulty completing simple everyday tasks like cooking and washing up. The exhaustion also impacts on her concentration levels and has an adverse effect on her sleeping patterns. A therapist, who Liz sees privately, recommended TBMA to help her manage these symptoms.
Liz attended all 10 of the workshops and is keen to advocate the benefits she derived. “You have to be open-minded about the course and be ready to engage in activities that might not seem beneficial at first sight. However, the mindfulness meditation and expressing my symptoms through movement helped to draw out issues that I could then address in therapy”, says Liz.
Since attending the course, Liz feels more in tune with her body, listening to her physical symptoms carefully and ensuring that she takes plenty of rest and relaxation. She also feels that her stamina and sleep patterns have improved, thereby contributing to a better quality of life.