(Newswire.net — December 18, 2013) Denver, Colorado — These two disorders far outranked the 200 other diseases and injuries compared in the study. “Chronic back pain and depression are both at epidemic levels.” Says Dr. Joel Cherdak, Owner and Chiropractor at The Denver Pain Management Clinic in Denver, CO. “The two disorders are not always mutually exclusive, and in combination can be devastating.”
The study was a worldwide survey that gathered data from countries ranging from Japan to Afghanistan, and the finding of back pain as the leading malady leading to disability is unsurprising. Many researchers including the study’s leader, Dr. Alize Ferrari from the University of Queensland’s School of Population Health, were surprised by the high ranking of depression. “Depression is a big problem and we definitely need to pay more attention to it than we are now,” she told BBC News.
Although the rapid increase in depression is notable, Dr. Cherdak thinks that it is no coincidence that those two disorders made the list. “Dealing with chronic back pain on a daily basis can lead to many of the symptoms of depression: constant distress, lack of energy, a feeling of hopelessness.” He advocates a holistic treatment of his patients because treating one disorder and not the other ignores half the problem. “What is happening in the body can have a huge impact on the mind, and your physical condition can color how you see the world.”
The American Chiropractic Association found that it depression is three to four times more common in people with chronic back pain than in the general population, and up to 80% of people with chronic pain will suffer some type of depression. It is often the combination of back pain with depression that leads to full disability. “Once you realize that the two are linked, you are able to treat the whole person. Chiropractic treatment, physical therapy, massage and acupuncture are all treatments that can not only treat the physical pain, but can alleviate emotional suffering of the patient as well.”
Dr. Joel Cherdak is the Owner and Chiropractor at The Denver Pain Management Clinic in Denver, CO. He believes that no one should have to live with chronic pain when there are so many treatment options available. To learn more about his practice please visit http://www.denverpainmanagementclinic.com/.
Written by: Rob Armijo