More research is showing a cyclical relationship between physical disease and
depression. In the last two years a number of studies have shown the relationship between diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and depression.
A recent Korean study in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery looked at 660 patients and found that there is a clear association between level of knee pain, and increased incidence of depression. It seems that in people with low levels of degeneration and arthritic changes, if their pain levels were expectedly higher, they were more likely to also be depressed.
Given that neuroimmune research has shown patients with depression to have higher levels of inflammation in their body that can inflame the brain (see article "treating depression includes calming the fire" ) it makes sense that those with joint pain will also suffer higher levels of pain, due to increased prostaglandins and inflammatory cytokines (immune system molecules) that increase our perception of pain.
Arthritis is already known to be more prevalent in patients with depression. This study is interesting for it teaches doctors that it may be necessary to look more carefully at a patient who seems to have joint pain that is greater than the damage or trauma might suggest. As a natural medicine practitioner, it also reminds me that natural treatments that work on inflammation (usually aimed at calming an inflamed digestive tract creating an anti-inflammatory diet) can help both knee pain, and depression. Acupuncture is also wonderful to address both symptoms while working on the underlying causes of joint pain and low mood.
Reference: Kim KW, Han JW, Cho HJ, Chang CB, Park JH, Lee JJ, Lee SB, Seong SC, Kim TK. Association between comorbid depression and osteoarthritis symptom severity in patients with knee osteoarthritis. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2011 Mar;93(6):556-63.
