Sciatic Pain and Depression

Dealing with sciatic pain and depression?  You might be surprised to find that Clinical depression and back pain often go hand in hand. Many studies have been conducted on the link between depression and chronic pain and they’ve found that an average of 62% of people with chronic low back pain also show symptoms of depression. 

In fact there are many theories behind the close link including the fact that pain and depression share some of the same neural pathways.  Additionally depression makes it difficult to handle pain and pain can actually make a person feel stressed, anxious, and those feelings often lead to or contribute to depression.

Regardless of the link depression can have a profound effect on the lives of those suffering from depression and chronic pain associated with sciatica and its many causes.  Depression can be caused by any number of things including

-          Seasonal affective disorder – SAD

-          Stress

-          Genetics

-          Environmental influences

-          Trauma

-          And Chronic pain

Chronic pain, sciatic pain, back pain are all common precursors of depression.  Symptoms of sciatic nerve pain or sciatica include:

-          Burning sensation in hip, back of leg and buttock

-          Sharp pain in hip, back of leg, and buttock

-          Numbness and/or tingling

Depression symptoms include:

-          Anxiety

-          Poor appetite

-          Decreased sex drive

-          Withdrawal from society

-          Anger

-          Sadness, crying spells, moodiness

-          Poor concentration

The problem with sciatica and depression is that it is a cycle which can be difficult to break.  Depression can lead to pain and conversely pain can lead to depression.  Antidepressants only treat the symptoms not the cause and most sciatic treatments are the same.  They only treat the symptoms and not the cause of the pain.

So what causes sciatic pain? 

It’s caused by:

-          Piriformis Syndrome

-          Spinal Stenosis

-          Spinal Injury

-          Overuse

-          Herniated Discs

Treatment often includes anything from basic anti-inflammatory medication to full scale surgery.  For most a more moderate approach to treating sciatica is beneficial and can include physical therapy, manual therapy, massage, chiropractic and other therapies which treat the cause of the sciatic pain rather than the symptom.

Depression on the other hand is often treated with antidepressant medication and therapy either group or individual. 

The challenge is to manage both chronic pain and depression so the cycle is ended.  There are actually many manual therapies which treat and address the mind body connection.  These therapies can address the sciatic pain and the depression simultaneously

If you or someone you know is dealing with chronic pain, depression or a combination of both, it’s imperative to get help.  Depression can weave its way into the core of someone’s life.  It can affect relationships, health, and career.  Chronic sciatic pain can disrupt sleep and mobility.

Take charge of your life and get help today. By eliminating some of your physical pain you will start to work towards feeling better emotionally as well. For more information about treating back pain and sciatica, you can visit www.losethebackpain.com