Treatment of persistent symptoms

Our services require a referral.

• We rehabilitate people of working age whose goal with their rehabilitation is to be able to work or to continue with their work or studies.
• The cause of illness for your functional symptoms has been adequately excluded or another disease does not provide an explanation for the symptoms
• A major disease or disorder contributing to your symptoms, such as insomnia, mental disorder or pain, has been identified and treated
• You have your own physician who is treating you and is mainly taking care of statements required by the social insurance system, provision of primary care, and continuity of care/support
• Your own motivation to rehabilitate in terms of functional capacity and improving your quality of life is high

Rehabilitation for persistent symptoms

At HUS, we treat persistent symptoms and identify suitable forms of rehabilitation.

Functional diseases manifest themselves as various multiform and diverse syndromes, which cannot be explained by somatic and psychiatric illnesses. They have various underlying load and cause factors, such as hereditary susceptibility, various stress and environmental factors, infections and other mental and somatic diseases and disorders. A crucial role is played by the reactivity of the central nervous system in the same way as when pain becomes chronic. Scientific understanding of the causes of functional disorders is constantly evolving.

Our goal is to identify factors that contribute to rehabilitation and to impact them. At the outpatient clinic, we provide information on the mechanisms of persistent symptoms and how to recover from the disorders.

• Psychoeducation, in which we provide information on functional symptoms, the mechanism of central nervous system sensitization, and on how to rehabilitate from the symptoms.
• Rehabilitative group interventions with 6–10 sessions, led by a psychologist, a social worker, and a psychophysical physiotherapist.
• Referral to Kela’s rehabilitation experiment for functional disorders.
• A designated online therapy for functional disorders called the “Rehabilitation program for long-term and debilitating physical symptoms”.
• Certificates for Kela’s demanding medical rehabilitation and other therapies supported by Kela.

Persistent symptoms include a wide range of multiform and diverse syndromes. Their background is known to include many reasons, such as hereditary predisposition, various stress and environmental factors, infections, and other illnesses. Most commonly, a persistent symptom or disorder is due to a combination of several factors. Scientific understanding of the causes of functional disorders is constantly evolving. 

Research has shown that the problem is the sensitization of the central nervous system. Functional symptoms are generated in the central nervous system as reactions to challenges or threats, and the activation of the autonomic nervous system causes numerous symptoms of different organ systems, although there is no problem with the organ system itself.

Often the underlying causes cannot be completely eliminated and even the avoidance of exposure factors has not produced convincing results. In light of current knowledge, the most profitable approach is to seek effective ways of controlling symptoms. 

Often healing requires that the examination cycle be broken and instead of looking for a reason, more focus is placed on rehabilitating the patient from the symptoms and on decreasing the threat you are possibly reading into the symptoms. As a result, reactivity, fear and symptom monitoring take a back seat and your self-capacity is strengthened. Your own motivation to rehabilitate is important. The outpatient clinic has data obtained from both examinations and practical work on several patients who have recovered from functional disorders.

In the treatment of persistent symptoms, we have a head physician, four part-time deputy chief physicians, a rehabilitation instructor, a psychologist, two part-time social workers, and a part-time physiotherapist, occupational therapist and clinical dietitian at work. 

In addition, our work is supported by HUS’s steering group for persistent symptoms, which has been meeting in HUS since early 2018. Specialists in different specialty fields participate in a weekly collaboration meeting where we plan patient care and rehabilitation.