CHRONIC PAIN AND DEPRESSION

Living with chronic pain should be enough of a burden for anybody. But pile on depression - one of the most common problems faced by people with chronic pain - and that burden gets even heavier. Depression can magnify pain and make it harder to cope. The good news is that chronic pain and depression aren't inseparable. Effective treatments can relieve depression and can help make chronic pain more tolerable.

If you have chronic pain and depression, you've got plenty of company. That's because chronic pain and depression are common problems that often overlap. Depression is one of the most common psychological issues facing people who suffer from chronic pain, and it often complicates the patient's conditions and treatment.

Because depression in patients with chronic pain frequently goes undiagnosed, it often goes untreated. Pain symptoms and complaints take center stage on most doctors' visits. The result is depression, slong with sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, lack of energy, and decreased physical activity which may make pain much worse.

Pain provokes and emotional response in everyone. Anxiety, irritability, and agitation - all these are normal feelings when we're hurting. Normally, as pain subsides, so does the stressful response. But what if the pain doesn't go away? Over time, the constantly activated stress response can cause multiple problems associated with depression. Those problems can include:

chronic anxiety

confused thinking

fatigue

irritability

sleep disturbances

weight gain or loss

Some of the overlap between depression and chronic pain can be explained by biology. Depression and chronic pain share some of the same neurotransmitters - the chemical messengers traveling between nerves. They also share some of the same nerve pathways. The impact of chronic pain on a person's life overall also contributes to depression. Once depression sets in, it magnifies the pain that is already there. Because chronic pain and depression are so intertwined, depression and chronic pain are often treated together. In fact, some treatments can improve both chronic pain and depression.

Chronic pain and depression can affect a person's entire life. Consequently, an ideal treatment approach addresses all the areas of one's life affected by chronic pain and depression. Because of the connection between chronic pain and depression, it makes sense that their treatments overlap.

Antidepressants: The fact that chronic pain and depression involve the same nerves and neurotransmitters means that antidepressants can be used to improve both chronic pain and depression.

Physical Activity: Many people with chronic pain avoid exercise. The key is to break this cycle. Gentle, regular physical activity is a crucial part of managing chronic pain. Exercise is also proven to help depression.

Mental and Spiritual Health: Chronic pai affects your ability to live, work, and play the way you're used to. This can change how you see yourself - sometimes for the worse. Fighting this process is a critical aspect of treatment.

The best way to approach managing chronic pain is to team up with a physician to create a treatment plan. When chronic pain and depression are combined, the need to work with a physician is even greater.

source: www.webmd.com