In and of itself, depression opens the gate and amplifies sensations of pain. But chronic pain may devastate a sufferer's mental health and relationships. Divorce and separation are common. Unsympathetic health professionals leave many patients feeling unheard and frustrated. Worker's compensation cases can be tortuous.
Nobody appears to understand.
It is hardly surprising that many sufferers are also depressed, stressed and anxious. Doctors disagree among themselves about whether the phenomenon of central sensitsation is caused by nerve injury, or by an emotional reaction. This debate reflects the inadequacy of the conceptual foundations of biomedicine. It may be more helpful to think of chronic pain as being a problem of both mind and body, and that psychological distress is at once a cause and an effect of chronic pain. Dr Nellie Radomsky argues that we need a whole new approach to understanding and managing pain.