Whether back pain causes depression or depression causes back pain is still being debated in medical circles. What is certain is that there is a definite link between the two. Clinical depression (which is defined as depression that is chronic and lasts more than a week or two) seems to go hand in hand with many cases of persistent back pain. If the patient goes to the doctor for the first time with symptoms of both, as is often the case, it is a "chicken or egg" situation in determining which came first. Here are some of the links recent studies are finding between the two conditions.

1. Clinical Depression Is More Common in People With Back Pain Than in the Rest of the Population

People with back pain are four times more likely to have clinical depression than the rest of the people in the world. An average of 62 percent of people who seek treatment for back pain at pain clinics also show depressive symptoms. Clearly, the two conditions are related.

It is known that general body pain can be a symptom of depression. Likewise, having chronic back pain with no known cause could also cause depression.

2. Back Pain Combined With Depression Can Be Disabling

People who complain of both back pain and depression have higher rates of disability and a greater severity of disability than those who only have one problem or the other. The degree of disability can be so great that it prevents a person from working. This makes it extremely important to identify people who have depression combined with back pain and treat the two conditions concurrently to achieve the best results.

3. Depression Is Most Often Found In Patients With Lon-Term Back Pain

Those who suffer with short, acute bouts of back pain don't suffer from depression nearly as much as those who have had long-term back pain. This seems to indicate the back pain may contribute to the depression the longer it goes on.

On the other hand, having depression does lead to physical pain for unknown reasons. Unless one problem presented itself first, it will be difficult to know what issue is cause which, if any.

Conclusion

Regardless of which condition causes which, or if the cause is different in different people, the fact is that depression and chronic back pain frequently go hand in hand. Treating both successfully (at clinics like Southwest Florida Neurosurgical Associates) is the key to getting people back to work and reclaiming their lives. If you are experiencing both depression and back pain, insist your doctor treat both conditions separately to give you the best chance for a full recovery.