Curing somatisation-induced paraplegia with experimental dice-based affective modulation.

Miles Alexander William Rogers, Joshua Au Yeung

BMJ case reports 2021 Oct 13

filter terms:

Following a minor meniscal injury to his right knee, a previously fit and well 58-year-old man developed profound somatisation leading to paraplegia. The patient developed a deep-seated belief that any exercise or walking would cause irreparable damage to his knee. Over the course of 2 years his, mobility reduced from active mountaineering to walking a short distance, and finally to paraplegia. Medical investigations were normal and organic causes were ruled out. Conventional therapy was exhausted, a number of medications were trialled over 5 years, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and antipsychotics without success. Eventually, with a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy, physiotherapy and a novel experimental therapy where the patient rolled dice and acted according to the roll results, the patient was able to literally and metaphorically get back on his feet. © BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

Citation

Miles Alexander William Rogers, Joshua Au Yeung. Curing somatisation-induced paraplegia with experimental dice-based affective modulation. BMJ case reports. 2021 Oct 13;14(10)