Why does chronic pain cause depression

Call our specialists today at or contact us online to begin your journey to recovery. Programs are customized to each patient's needs and include behavioral health, physical therapy and medical management if needed. Mesa: E. Baywood Mesa, AZ Can Chronic Pain Cause Depression? July 24th, am Chronic pain is any pain that lasts longer than the normal amount of time it takes for an injury or illness to heal.

Symptoms of Depression Approximately half of people who suffer from depression only report their physical symptoms to their doctor. According to the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement ICSI , you may be suffering from depression in addition to chronic pain if you experience: 3 Changes in appetite Lack of interest in activities Irregular sleep patterns Low energy Feelings of despair and guilt Trouble concentrating Irritability Suicidal thoughts Who Can Help With Chronic Pain and Depression Since treatment plans work best when chronic pain and depression are tackled together, assembling a well-rounded care team is crucial.

Important people to have on this team are a: 4 Therapist — addresses negative and anxious thinking patterns through regular sessions. Can teach coping skills that help reduce symptoms of depression and pain.

Pain Specialist — educates on the association between depression and chronic pain and provides assistance developing a treatment plan. Physician — provides thorough examinations and evaluations. Can prescribe pain and psychiatric medication, if necessary. Physical Therapist — helps improve mobility and reduce pain.

Can introduce muscle relaxation techniques and helpful exercises designed to improve mood and mental wellbeing. When this shutoff mechanism is impaired, physical sensations, including pain, are more likely to become the center of attention. Brain pathways that handle the reception of pain signals, including the seat of emotions in the limbic region, use some of the same neurotransmitters involved in the regulation of mood, especially serotonin and norepinephrine.

When regulation fails, pain is intensified along with sadness, hopelessness, and anxiety. And chronic pain, like chronic depression, can alter the functioning of the nervous system and perpetuate itself. Fibromyalgia may illustrate these biological links between pain and depression. Its symptoms include widespread muscle pain and tenderness at certain pressure points, with no evidence of tissue damage. Brain scans of people with fibromyalgia show highly active pain centers, and the disorder is more closely associated with depression than most other medical conditions.

Fibromyalgia could be caused by a brain malfunction that heightens sensitivity to both physical discomfort and mood changes. Depression contributes greatly to the disability caused by headaches, backaches, or arthritis. People in pain who are also depressed become extremely heavy consumers of medical services, even if they have no severe underlying illness. But that doesn't mean they receive better treatment; studies show that they actually use fewer mental health services than other patients with mood disorders.

Pain slows recovery from depression, and depression makes pain more difficult to treat; for example, it may cause patients to drop out of pain rehabilitation programs. Worse, both pain and depression feed on themselves, by changing both brain function and behavior. Depression leads to isolation and isolation leads to further depression; pain causes fear of movement, and immobility creates the conditions for further pain.

When depression is treated, pain often fades into the background, and when pain goes away, so does much of the suffering that causes depression. In pain rehabilitation centers, specialists treat both problems together, often with the same techniques, including progressive muscle relaxation, hypnosis, and meditation. Physicians prescribe standard analgesics — acetaminophen, aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and in severe cases, opiates — along with a variety of psychiatric drugs see "Medicating pain and depression" box above.

Physical therapists provide exercises not only to break the vicious cycle of pain and immobility but also to help relieve depression. Cognitive and behavioral therapies teach pain patients how to avoid fearful anticipation, banish discouraging thoughts, and adjust everyday routines to ward off physical and emotional suffering.

Psychotherapy helps demoralized patients and their families tell their stories and describe the experience of pain in its relation to other problems in their lives. Pain specialists can improve their practice by learning more about the interactions among psychological, neurological, and hormonal influences that link pain and depression. Why do some people recover from injuries without pain while others develop chronic symptoms, and how is that process related to depression and anxiety?

How do psychotherapy and antidepressant drugs affect brain function in depressed people with chronic pain? What kinds of psychotherapy are helpful for them, and how long should psychotherapy continue? In investigating these questions, and in all treatment of both pain and depression, the goal is not just comfort or the absence of symptoms but restoring the capacity to lead a productive life.

American Academy of Pain Management www. An organization for professionals working with people in pain. It provides accreditation, continuing education, publications, and other services. National Foundation for the Treatment of Pain www. American Pain Foundation www. Antidepressants and alcohol: What's the concern? Antidepressants and weight gain: What causes it?

Antidepressants: Can they stop working? Antidepressants: Side effects Antidepressants: Selecting one that's right for you Antidepressants: Which cause the fewest sexual side effects? Antiphospholipid syndrome Antidepressants and pregnancy Atypical antidepressants Atypical depression Axona: Medical food to treat Alzheimer's Back pain Bedtime routines: Not just for babies Benefits of being bilingual Binge-eating disorder Blood Basics Borderline personality disorder Breast-feeding and medications Dr.

Wallace Video Parathyroid Caffeine and depression: Is there a link? The role of diet and exercise in preventing Alzheimer's disease Can music help someone with Alzheimer's? Can zinc supplements help treat hidradenitis suppurativa? Can't sleep? Try daytime exercise Hidradenitis suppurativa wound care Celiac disease Celiac disease: Can gluten be absorbed through the skin? Celiac disease diet: How do I get enough grains? Clinical trials for hidradenitis suppurativa Coconut oil: Can it cure hypothyroidism?

Coffee after dinner? Make it decaf Complete blood count CBC Complicated grief Compulsive sexual behavior Concussion Concussion in children Concussion Recovery Concussion Telemedicine Coping with the stress of hidradenitis suppurativa Coping with the emotional ups and downs of psoriatic arthritis COVID and your mental health Creating a hidradenitis suppurativa care team Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Cupping therapy: Can it relieve fibromyalgia pain?

Depression, anxiety and exercise Depression: Diagnosis is key Depression during pregnancy Depression in women: Understanding the gender gap Depression major depressive disorder Depression: Provide support, encouragement Depression: Supporting a family member or friend Diabetes and Alzheimer's Diabetes and depression: Coping with the two conditions Diagnosing Alzheimer's Dissociative disorders Vitamin C and mood Drug addiction substance use disorder Alzheimer's elder care Electroconvulsive therapy ECT Empty nest syndrome Fatigue Fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia and acupuncture Fibromyalgia: Does exercise help or hurt?

Fibromyalgia: Linked to other health problems? Fish oil and depression Folic acid supplements: Can they slow cognitive decline? Foods and sleep Ginkgo biloba: Can it prevent memory loss? Hangovers Hashimoto's disease Headache Hidradenitis suppurativa Hidradenitis suppurativa and biologics: Get the facts Hidradenitis suppurativa and diet: What's recommended?

Hidradenitis suppurativa and sleep: How to get more zzz's Hidradenitis suppurativa: Tips for weight-loss success Hidradenitis suppurativa: What is it? Hidradenitis suppurativa: When does it appear? Hidradenitis suppurativa: Where can I find support?

How opioid addiction occurs How to tell if a loved one is abusing opioids How to use opioids safely Huperzine A: Can it treat Alzheimer's? Hyperparathyroidism Hypoparathyroidism Hypothyroidism: Can calcium supplements interfere with treatment?

Hypothyroidism diet Hypothyroidism and joint pain? Hypothyroidism: Should I take iodine supplements? Hypothyroidism symptoms: Can hypothyroidism cause eye problems? Hypothyroidism underactive thyroid Insomnia Insomnia: How do I stay asleep? Insomnia treatment: Cognitive behavioral therapy instead of sleeping pills Intervention: Help a loved one overcome addiction Is depression a factor in rheumatoid arthritis? Is fibromyalgia hereditary?

Is the definition of Alzheimer's disease changing? Depression and diet Kratom for opioid withdrawal Lack of sleep: Can it make you sick? Lexapro side effects: Is breast tenderness common? Living better with hidradenitis suppurativa Low blood pressure hypotension Male depression: Understanding the issues Managing depression in MS Managing Headaches Managing hidradenitis suppurativa: Early treatment is crucial Hidradenitis suppurativa-related health risks MAOIs and diet: Is it necessary to restrict tyramine?

Migraines and Vertigo Migraines: Are they triggered by weather changes? Nervous breakdown: What does it mean? New Alzheimers Research Nicotine dependence Not tired? Don't go to bed Occipital nerve stimulation: Effective migraine treatment? Infographic: Pancreatic Cancers-Whipple Perimenopause Perimenopause birth control options Pet therapy Phosphatidylserine supplements: Can they improve memory?

Pituitary tumors Polymyalgia rheumatica Premenstrual dysphoric disorder Premenstrual syndrome PMS Prescription drug abuse Prescription sleeping pills: What's right for you? Progressive supranuclear palsy Psychotherapy Rapidly progressing Alzheimer's: Something else? Reducing the discomfort of hidradenitis suppurativa: Self-care tips Salt craving: A symptom of Addison's disease?

Soy: Does it worsen hypothyroidism? Staying active with hidradenitis suppurativa Stop your next migraine before it starts Stress symptoms Sundowning: Late-day confusion Support groups Surgery for hidradenitis suppurativa Symptom Checker Tapering off opioids: When and how Tinnitus and antidepressants Transcranial magnetic stimulation Traumatic brain injury Treating hidradenitis suppurativa: Explore your options Treating hidradenitis suppurativa with antibiotics and hormones Treating pain: When is an opioid the right choice?

Treatment-resistant depression Tricyclic antidepressants and tetracyclic antidepressants Unexplained weight loss Vagus nerve stimulation Valerian: A safe and effective herbal sleep aid?