Depression is one of the commonest emotions associated with chronic back pain. Amongst the various types of depression, the one that mostly accompanies chronic back pain is known as clinical depression or major depression. Previously, depression appeared to be risk factor for many physical illnesses that included diabetes, cardiac arrests, and pancreatic cancer. Now depression is also considered to be one of the Causes of Back Pain and is included in the list of back pain symptoms.
Depression is one of the important and independent risk factors involved with troublesome pain. The patients suffering from both depression and back pain undergoes twice more sick days than those having either one of the problem separately.
Symptoms of Depression
In case of clinical depression, the depression type goes beyond the limit of normal sadness or feeling down. The symptoms associated with major depression takes place daily for at least two weeks and include: a sad, depressed, irritable, hopeless, blue or low predominant mood including periodic crying spells; problem in sleeping, either to little or too much; significant weight loss or poor appetite; feeling restless or sluggish; decrease in sex drive; loss of interest or pleasure; feeling lowly or worthlessness; thoughts of suicide, death or wishing to be dead; concentration or memory related problems. Indulging in sexual activities is often the last thing in a persons mind suffering from depression related back pain.
Chronic Back Pain and Depression
Depression is a common factor present in those patients suffering from chronic back pain. Depression often leads to low back pain. Anxiety, depression and stress come along with chronic pain. After conducting many researches and studies, it has been found that depression is a strong forecaster of low back pain. Although a common relationship is found between depression and back pain, the factors or mechanisms responsible for this association still remains unclear. The back pain often makes it difficult for the patient to sleep, thus causing fatigue and irritability throughout the day. Difficulty in sleeping or too little sleep is also caused by depression that increases the inflammation caused by back pain. Since back pain patients have difficulty in most movement, they move quite carefully and slowly, thus spending most of their time at home away from social activities and gatherings. This causes lack of enjoyable activities and leads to social isolation. The various symptoms of chronic back pain lead to despair feeling, distress, hopelessness and other symptoms of clinical depression.
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