I have been having back pain on and off now for the last 3 years. Mostly not related to a tweak or an event. I have been wondering lately if I have also been depressed for the last 3 years too. I have noticed that I have been getting symptoms of depression or have been under a lot of stress. Then the back pain starts to creep in at the same time. I usually get the pain in the morning and at night. I am starting to wonder if my back pain is secondary to depression. I will see my Doctor about it. I feel like it might be worth enquiring about anti depressant medication. In the past I have always been hesitant about taking meds.
Can I ask what your opinion is on anti depressants. Do they work/help? How long should you take them for?
I would try not to view it in this simplistic of a manner, i.e., that the back pain is being directly “caused” by depression. Rather, depression may be a part of the overall picture, but it’s almost never a simple linear relationship like that.
These can be quite complex situations and without getting to know you and your journey a whole lot better, it is difficult to give quality advice in this situation. Antidepressants can be very helpful for some individuals, and less so for others – which again is part of how complex this is.
My strongest recommendation is to seek out care from a trusted clinician regarding your concern of depression, and with respect to the back pain, I don’t think you can do any better than a consult with one of our BBM rehab clinicians, as they deal with this sort of situation on a daily basis.
There is no evidence that antidepressants will interfere with training. If they help with your depression, they will likely help your training that way, as depression clearly interferes with training (and training itself helps with depression). You should take meds for as long as you need them (as long as the benefit outweighs any side effects or the hassle of taking medications, for you). If you do experience prolonged remission of your depression, and decide to try to come off the meds, you should do so gradually in consultation with your prescriber.