Depression is a powerful force that can cause the brain to actually change. For those who suffer from chronic pain, the emotional effects of depression are not far behind. Depression is a complex condition that causes pain in many forms, both emotional and physical.
With chronic pain sufferers, neurotransmitters actually have the ability to make the body increasingly sensitive to pain. This causes aches and pains that are unrelated to any injury or condition. With this increase in sensitivity, additional issues like trouble sleeping, stress, fatigue, and mood swings can quickly set in.
Unfortunately, depression also has the ability to cause chronic pain. These two factors operate as a two-way street.
When people are faced with especially traumatic experiences in their lives, the reaction of sadness or grief can persist and intensify for a longer period of time which can develop into clinical depression. This condition can debilitate one’s ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle, both physically and emotionally.
What Does Depression Feel Like?
While the core of depression exists as an emotional predicament, symptoms also present themselves in a physical manner. Some of these symptoms include headaches, joint aches, back pain, stomach discomfort, and lethargy. Depression can also cause problems with sleeping, trouble concentrating, increasing feelings of sadness or anxiousness, and lack of interest in activities that were once enjoyable.
Reaching A Diagnosis
Because depression and chronic pain function as a two-way street, it may be incredibly difficult for physicians and therapists to determine which condition was the catalyst for the other.
Recent studies recognize that depression and chronic pain is comorbid, meaning that both conditions can occur simultaneously. Identifying the warning signs of depression can be highly effective in being able to intervene with the condition before it worsens.
Some of these warning signs include:
• Low appetite
• Change in sleep patterns
• Extreme fatigue
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Pain
Ketamine’s Effects on Depression
Ketamine is a pain relief and anesthetic medication that has been safely used in the United States since 1970. While Ketamine is an “old drug” with a long history, over the past decade, this medicine has become recognized as a safe and effective treatment option for pain and mood disorders.
New studies have emerged that ketamine can effectively help to reduce and manage pain and depression when administered intravenously. It began with a Yale study in 2000 revealed that Ketamine had the potential as a treatment for major depressive disorder. Since then, the popularity of ketamine as a treatment for chronic pain and mood disorders has seen a huge increase.
Reversing the effects of depression and chronic pain may not be an actual miracle, but for those who suffer from these debilitating conditions, finding an effective solution can certainly feel like one.
Pain Management and Injury Relief Medical Center offers ketamine infusion therapy to patients suffering from chronic pain or mood disorders. PMIR offers a variety of interventional treatment options for patients living in Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Malibu, Camarillo, Newbury Park, Moorpark, Simi Valley and surrounding areas.
Are you a candidate for Ketamine Infusion Therapy? Take our quiz here.
Join us on October 8th, at 6:00PM in Westlake Village to learn more about Ketamine and its benefits. Space is limited – RSVP here to ensure your spot!
Take the First Step Towards Pain-Free Living Today
