Many people suffer from chronic low back pain in the country. There are also many who experience sleep disorders and depression. For millions of people, they experience one or more of them at the same time, leading researchers to wonder what overlap and impact each has on one another. There have been studies that have linked chronic low back pain with both sleep disorders and depression, leaving some to wonder which comes first. A new study has shed more light on the issue.
The study is published in the August 2024 issue of the Journal of Pain Research [1]. Researchers conducted a study that included 5,275 people, including 542 who had chronic low back pain. All of the participants suffered from chronic low back pain, depressive symptoms, or sleep disorders. Some people experienced more than one of the conditions. The information gathered was self-reported by the participants, although those with sleep disorders had been previously diagnosed by a doctor.
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They learned that those who have sleep disorders or depressive symptoms were associated with having a higher rate of chronic low back pain. Researchers compared the information with participants who did not have depression symptoms or sleep disturbances. They conclude that having a sleep disorder or depression puts people at an increased risk for chronic low back pain.
Those with these conditions may know too well that they tend to go together. There has been prior research that also supports the idea that they are connected. In a study published in the journal Frontiers in April 2021, researchers report that the relationship between chronic pain and depression is bidirectional, as having either disorder increases the risk of developing the other condition [2]. Further, they advise that chronic pain is strongly associated with the onset and relapse of depression.
In another Frontiers study published in June 2023, researchers report that more than half of all chronic pain patients also have sleep disorders [3]. They warn that those helping to manage the conditions for patients should be aware of the drug interactions between the two and recommend that those being treated for chronic pain be screened for sleep disturbances.
This information is essential to those with one of the three conditions and those who help provide treatment services for those who experience them. There is a connection between chronic low back pain and sleep disorders or depression. The more we can understand these connections, the better we can help people find relief.
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This article was originally published on Confronting Chronic Pain by Dr. Steven Richeimer, Director Pain Medicine and Pain Science Certificates.
Source:
- Journal of Pain Research. The Combined Effect Between Sleep Disorders and Depression Symptoms on Chronic Low Back Pain. August 2024.
- Frontiers. Comorbid Chronic Pain and Depression. April 2021.
- Frontiers. Sleep disorders in chronic pain and its neurochemical mechanisms. June 2023.
