Every year, physicians diagnose numerous patients with chronic depression; however, new research suggests that, in many of these cases, the actual problem could be related to chronic pain.
Depression or Pain?
New research conducted at the Veterans Affairs’ Neuropsychology Testing Laboratory indicates that physicians may be misdiagnosing patients who are demonstrating somatic symptoms of depression.
To reach their findings, researchers studied over 300 male veterans of war who suffered from some type of chronic pain. Initially, they discovered that a large number of these participants showed signs of depression, including negative rumination and low mood; however, in the end, they determined that it was actually the chronic pain that brought on these psychological and physical symptoms.
TMD Can Promote Low Mood
It’s not surprising to learn that chronic pain can lead people to feel down in the dumps; however, this new research indicates that it may cause serious psychological and physical symptoms that can fool physicians into making misdiagnoses.
If you are experiencing pain related to temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), you should seek help. A bite splint offers an effective, comfortable TMD treatment. To learn more, Contact Us or call (303) 691-0267 today.
