Chronic Pain and Depression
Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists for weeks, months, or even years. Common chronic pain can be present anywhere in the body and it is usually hard to pin point one cause since it can be triggered by many sources.
How is depression involved with chronic pain?
Depression is the most common emotion associated with chronic pain. It is thought to be 3 to 4 times more common in people with chronic pain than in the general population.
This time of year proves to be particularly difficult for patients with depression and chronic pain. Decreased daylight, lack of activity and the cold weather itself all contribute to increasing the conditions.
Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Pain
- Pain beyond 6 months after an injury
- Pain from stimuli which are not normally painful and/or pain that occurs other than in the stimulated area
- Increased pain from stimuli that are normally painful
- Being overly sensitive to pain
Signs of major clinical depression
- Symptoms daily for 2 weeks or more
- A predominant feeling of sadness; feeling blue, hopeless, or irritable, often with crying spells
- Changes in appetite or weight (loss or gain) and/or sleep (too much or too little)
- Poor concentration or memory – Brain Fog
- Feeling restless or fatigued
- Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities, including sex
- Feeling of worthlessness and/or guilt
What is the treatment for chronic pain and depression?
The first step in coping with chronic pain is to determine its cause, if possible. Addressing the problem will help the pain subside.
- Stay active. Exercise has been shown to be more effective than Anti-Depressants over the long term.
- Relaxation training, hypnosis, biofeedback, and guided imagery, can help you cope with chronic pain.
- Eating a diet low in sugar and Trans-fats- both of which are highly inflammatory and can trigger pain and depression.
- Get plenty of sunlight. If you have seasonal depressive disorder have your Vit. D levels checked.
- Orthomolecular therapy (replacing neurotransmitters with all natural amino acids) for depression and anxiety has been very effective for some of our patients.
- Neurologic Relief Technique one of the most effective techniques I have seen in 17 years of practice in deal with chronic pain.
- Involving your family with your recovery may be quite helpful, according to recent scientific evidence.
For more information on how we can help with mild to moderate depression symptoms www.millerhealthcenter.com/nutritional-supplementation/ for information on our services to help with chronic pain visit www.millerhealthcenter.com/nrct/. You can also call our office and schedule a Free Consultation with Dr Miller at 997-8066