Study: Depression Can Lead to Severe Neck and Back Pain

Depression can lead to severe neck and low back pain, according to a study reported in the journal Pain.

Dr. Linda Carroll, a health sciences professor at the University of Alberta in Canada, and her colleagues followed nearly 800 adults and found that people who suffer from depression are four times as likely to develop intense or disabling neck and low back pain than those who are not depressed.

"We've known for a long time that pain can lead to depression, and now we're finding that each is a risk for the other," Carroll said.

Noting that 80 percent of the population has experienced neck or low back pain in the past six months, Carroll emphasized the importance of trying to deal with these conditions "before they become troublesome and lead to a vicious cycle."

According to Carroll, people are either passive or active in coping with pain. Being passive involves withdrawing from activities or wishing for better pain medication, while being active entails exercising and staying busy.

"We're wondering if depression leads people to cope passively when they experience the kinds of mild pain episodes that most of us are periodically subject to," said Carroll. "This in turn may increase the likelihood that pain will become a problem in someone's life. The next step is to answer this question."

Other sources: University of Alberta