Psychosomatic medicine deals with physical disorders that are also called psychophysiologic disorders, or somatoform disorders. An illness may be considered psychosomatic when it seems to result from strong emotional conditions such as anxiety, trauma, depression, anger or guilt, rather than a physical cause. A physician who specializes in psychosomatic medicine will first test the patient to rule out physical causes. A psychosomatic illness will often respond to pain medication or other medical help, but psychological assessment is required to find the underlying cause of the illness.

Some psychosomatic illnesses are irritable bowel syndrome, upset stomach, muscle aches, tension headaches, panic attacks, colitis and ulcers, and even infertility. Psychological stress can reduce the effectiveness of the immune system and lower energy levels, allowing the body to create or worsen physical diseases. The way a person handles stress often affects the severity of psychosomatic illnesses.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. Arizona has 16 practicing psychosomatic medicine doctors. Broken out by city, psychosomatic medicine doctor density in Casa Grande is 1, in Chandler is 1, in Cottonwood is 1, in Phoenix is 7, in Scottsdale is 9, in Sun City is 1, in Tucson is 1, and in Wickenburg is 1.

Arizona has many famous tourist attractions and parks, including the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, which was created when the dam was built. The Grand Canyon draws millions of visitors each year, and Phoenix, Scottsdale, Flagstaff each draw their own sun-seeking winter vacationers. Visit the world-famous O.K. Corral in Tombstone. Arizona’s population is 5,939,292, and Phoenix, the capital city, is home to a majority of those people. Entertainers Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, and Tanya Tucker were born here, along with architect Frank Lloyd Wright and former Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Arizona has a population of 5,939,292. Of this population, 1,535,805 are under the age of 18 and 754,345 are at or above the age of 65.