Why Chronic Pain and Depression Go Hand in Hand?

For those of us who work in chronic pain it’s easy to see that patients who have persisting pain for more than 6 months almost always struggle with depression. And research has also shown that those who had depression before they developed pain are much more likely to have that pain become chronic. But the  mechanisms linking these two disorders have not always been fully understood.

At Restore Fx we aim to provide the most research-based and current treatments for chronic pain. Our staff constantly reviews medical journals to inform our treatments and improve care for our patients. Just today I came across an interesting article that may help to explain the link between depression and chronic pain on a brain level. Researchers were able to stimulate increased release of serotonin (a neurotransmitter/brain chemical) in mice and found that it significantly reduced their sensitivity to pain. They did this through a clever use of light-sensitive neurons that produce serotonin. For more detailed information on their study please see:

Optogenetic Recruitment of Dorsal Raphe Serotonergic Neurons Acutely Decreases Mechanosensory Responsivity in Behaving MiceGuillaume P. Dugué, Magor L. Lörincz, Eran Lottem, Enrica Audero, Sara Matias, Patricia A. Correia, Clément Léna, Zachary F. MainenResearch Article | published 22 Aug 2014 | PLOS ONE

This may help to explain why taking an antidepressant helps in reducing pain. It’s also good to note that exercise, which is helpful in painful conditions such as arthritis, also reduces depression. So what’s good for your depression is probably also good for your chronic pain.  

Stay tuned for more scientific advancements on understanding chronic pain and how to best treat it.
 

Wishing you well, 

 

Krista Jordan, Ph.D., ABPP

Program Director, Restore Fx

Restoring Functional Life