Is Chronic Knee Pain Making You Depressed?

“Don’t hit that snooze button…your doctor says you need to work out.”

“But my knees are killing me…and I’m SO tired.”

You know the doctor has encouraged you to exercise more regularly. And there is no question that getting up and taking the dog for a trip around the block or lacing up for a short jog or some treadmill time would be very beneficial.

Yet you reach for the snooze button one more time. Because even if the mind is willing – you want to get up and work out -- your body is directing the day’s agenda.

And when you do finally get out of bed, you may find yourself with achy, stiff and swollen knees. You might even be serenaded by a symphony of cracking and popping sounds.

If this routine sounds at all familiar, take heart: you are not alone. This is especially true if your aching knees are because of knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Millions of people – including one out of every five people over 45 – are believed to have some form of knee OA, as it is the most common joint disorder in the world. With OA, the cartilage between the joints gradually breaks down. The joints lose their shock-absorbing qualities, and bones may begin rubbing together. OA is a progressive disease, so it usually worsens over time, causing increased pain and reduced mobility.

But whether or not you have been officially diagnosed with OA, ongoing knee pain can impact many aspects of your life, while gradually slowing things down to a grinding halt.

See if any of these following strategies sound familiar. Many people start reducing their mobility, limiting their activities in hopes of avoiding knee pain. It can be subtle at first: you start circling the parking lot, looking for closer spaces so you won’t have to walk as far. You stop shopping at warehouse or “big box” stores, because it might be too painful to walk through large aisles.

Before you know it, you are declining invitations for recreational activities, like bowling, golf, tennis or hikes. You pass on chances to take trips to museums or spend the day at an amusement park. Going dancing, which you once loved, is now unthinkable. In short, you are slowly, systematically eliminating any event where motion and mobility are required.

What’s the result? As pain increases, self-inflicted limitations and restrictions also increase. This gradually robs us of our sense of freedom, our independence, and even our opportunity to connect with other human beings. We can become lonely and experience another type of pain in addition to the physical pain of OA: emotional pain.

This is not just theoretical: researchers have found that experiencing chronic pain, such as what you might have with knee OA, can profoundly impact a person’s mental and physical health. Chronic pain, reduced mobility, isolation and frustration can contribute to feelings of hopelessness. And that can set off a downward spiral, affecting overall quality of life.

And it can be much worse than just “feeling bad” – in a study published in Genome Biology, researchers reported that people who were lonely felt it to the very core of their being and had genetic responses that actually reduced their immune system’s ability to suppress inflammation.

Doctors at Harvard University report that people who suffer from chronic pain have triple the risk of developing psychiatric symptoms. And the reverse is also true: people who are depressed have triple the average risk of developing chronic pain.

Download the full patient guide here.

Feeling Better Through Exercise

While exercising may feel like the last thing you want to do, physical activity can play an important role in addressing depression. The act of moving your body -- whether it’s low-impact walking or even non-impact activities like yoga, tai chi or swimming -- releases a mixture of feel-good chemicals – known as endorphins – that can make you feel better.

Practiced consistently over the long term, exercise can have beneficial effects on physical health and also positively affect your emotional health. So, if your healthcare provider says it is safe to exercise, go ahead and get moving and enjoy the physical and mental benefits.

Remember, though, if you are carrying extra weight, physical activity is harder on your joints and can create unwanted stress on the knees. Many times, doctors recommend you make weight reduction part of your fitness goals. Even dropping a small amount of weight can be beneficial: losing 10 pounds is like losing 30 pounds to your knees.

When it comes to OA knee treatment, many people find one particular type of brace, known as an offloader brace to be helpful in reducing the pain of knee OA. One of the most popular, the Unloader One from Össur, uses a proprietary 3-Point Leverage System that helps “unload” the pressure from the affected area.

Having knee OA can be a daily challenge. And it can be hard to get moving if you have knee pain, and doubly hard if you are also feeling depressed. Having a frank conversation with your doctor about both your emotional and physical symptoms can ensure you receive proper treatment. As a result, you might find solutions that help living with osteoarthritis more enjoyable and more rewarding overall.