Abstract
In recent years a new holistic concept of the functional diseases is proposed as "Functional somatic syndrome." The term functional somatic syndrome has been applied to several related syndromes which are characterized more often by symptoms, suffering, and disability than by consistently demonstrable tissue abnormality. We can see these patients very often among outpatients in general hospital. The main diseases of this syndrome include irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia, fibromyalgia syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome. However, these syndromes are already established as a certain type of functional diseases, therefore some doctors think the holistic concept is of no use. Here I would like to consider the usefulness of this concept by discussing the differences between the holistic concept and other similar general concepts, such as medically unexplained symptoms, psychosomatic disease, and somatoform disorder. This concept offers the common foundation to discuss and collaborate for considering the useful treatment of the functional somatic syndrome, among doctors of different fields such as general physician, psychosomatist, psychiatrist, and specialist of the certain organ.
