FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Spine-health.com
Sylvia Marten, 312-224-4150
admin@spine-health.comCHICAGO - (BusinessWire) - A study by Spine-health.com, the leading health information website for consumers with chronic pain and back pain, reveals that depression may be much higher in back pain sufferers than previously thought.
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Call your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms:
Persistent feelings of sadness and guilt; thoughts of death.
Having low self-esteem.
Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed.
Difficulty with relationships; sleep disturbances such as insomnia or hypersomnia.
Changes in appetite or weight.
Decreased energy; difficulty concentrating.
Frequent physical complaints; irritability.
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A Spine-health.com user poll conducted in June 2007 showed that 61 percent of people with chronic back pain also suffer from depression (n = 642). Previous clinical evidence estimated the incidence of depression in the chronic pain population at around 20 percent to 30 percent. In the general population, the incidence of major depression is around five percent. Depression is treated with a wide range of options, including lifestyle changes, support groups, professional counseling, and anti-depressants such as Cymbalta, Effexor XR, Lexapro, and Wellbutrin.
“The fact that many people with chronic back pain also suffer from depression is no surprise,” said William Deardorff, PhD, ABPP, a clinical psychologist and Medical Advisor for Spine-health.com. “Continuous pain drains a person physically, mentally and emotionally, and can make everyday activities difficult or impossible. What is surprising is the percentage of people self-reporting that they are depressed, which implies: (1) that depression may be under-diagnosed in the chronic back pain population and (2) that all medical professionals treating a chronic back pain patient, including surgeons, should be on the lookout for signs of depression.”
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