Low back pain and depression are two of the most common reasons for doctor’s visits. Despite this, there has been little emphasis by the medical profession on how these two conditions are related. In this article, we would like to highlight some basic information on how these combined conditions can affect your health and the best approaches to treat them to return to health.
Just like the proverbial question, “Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?”, it is difficult to know for someone suffering from both low back pain and depression which condition caused the other. The important thing to realize is that there definitely is a correlation and that the best physicians and the most effective therapeutic approach will address both to return the patient to vital health and peace of mind.
What is the connection between depression and low back pain?
Depression increases low back pain disability: It was also found that the combination of chronic back pain and depression was associated with greater disability than either depression or chronic back pain alone.
There are many causes of depression. It may be that the person is depressed because they can’t participate in their favorite activity such as golf, tennis, cycling, hiking, or just working out.
What are some important statistics about depression?
Depression is a common mental disorder. Globally, more than 264 million people of all ages suffer from depression.
Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease.
More women are affected by depression than men.
Depression can lead to suicide.
Even though there are effective psychological and pharmacological treatments for moderate and severe depression, as many as 80% of people with depression never receive treatment or are misdiagnosed or improperly treated World Health Organization Facts about Depression
What are some important statistics about low back pain?
Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide
Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work. In fact, back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections.
One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year.
Experts estimate that as much as 80% of the population will experience a back problem at some time in their lives.
Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non-organic this meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture or cancer.
Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on back pain—and that is just for the more easily identified costs. Back Pain statistics
Are there doctors that can treat both depression and back pain?
Most physicians specialize on a narrow area which means you’d have to have two different doctors if you suffer from both depression and low back pain. Dr. Nelson is uniquely qualified to provide effective treatments for both conditions. He has successfully treated thousands of patients with low back pain. He is also an expert in using Prolotherapy for knee pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, and helping people recover from automobile accidents .
How can I determine if your office can help my pain?
Patients with pain wondering if we can help can schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation with Dr. William Nelson. Please contact our Scottsdale or Flagstaff, AZ office at 602-692-4626 to schedule. We look forward to helping you.
Author
Dr. William Nelson William Nelson, NMD, is a naturopathic medical doctor who brings years of medical expertise to his practice, Explore Health, in Scottsdale, Arizona. Dr. Nelson is heralded as the go-to physician for patients who feel they have exhausted their time and resources attempting to resolve complex health challenges. He is also respected internationally as a preeminent addiction medicine specialist and hosts ”Your Road to Personal Addiction Recovery,” which is one of the most-listened-to podcasts on the matter.
Dr. Nelson is an expert in non-surgical joint and back repair helping people in North Scottsdale and Flagstaff, AZ become pain free from painful knees, hips, shoulders, low back, whiplash, and other chronic or acute injuries.
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