"Between 30 and 60% of people with chronic pain also have a depression" (1:06)
Russell Portenoy, MD, a leading pain expert, explains how these conditions require carefully coordinated treatment.
Click the thumbnails below to watch more real stories.
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Depression and Pain
The need to treat both
( 1:06 )
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Build Your Pain Team
Get them to work for you
( 1:19 )
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Being Friends With Pain
How to move past it
( :56 )
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Joy Is a Painkiller
Distraction can help
( :53 )
Share Your Thoughts
Have you or someone you love experienced depression and pain?
“The relationship between pain and depression is complicated,” says Russell Portenoy, MD, chairman of the Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. “In some patients, depression follows the pain, and if you can effectively treat the pain, the depression would get better. And in some patients the depression seems to drive the pain.” In this video, Dr. Portenoy explains that when these two conditions coexist, patients need carefully coordinated treatment.
Depression and PainThe need to treat both
Build Your Pain TeamGet them to work for you
Being Friends With PainHow to move past it
Joy Is a PainkillerDistraction can help