In the study, which consisted of 2,976 people, half the participants presented with at least one of three symptoms: pain, insomnia, and depression. Approximately 34 percent of the patients studied experienced insomnia, while 29 percent had depression, in addition to moderate to severe pain. RELATED: 13 Natural Remedies for Osteoarthritis
The Osteoarthritis, Insomnia, and Depression Connection
“Our study showed that among patients with osteoarthritis, about 47 percent of them reported moderate to severe pain, 17 percent clinical insomnia, and 21 percent clinical depression,” says Minhui Liu, PhD, RN, a research fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore and the lead author of the study. “Moreover, about 13 percent of them had concurrent moderate to severe pain and clinical insomnia, and 13 percent presented concurrent moderate to severe pain and clinical depression.”
There Is a Pain, Sleep, and Mood Link, but Not Necessarily a Synergistic One
According to Dr. Liu, parts of the research revealed surprising results. “From previous research, we know that OA pain, insomnia and depression interact with each other, and that one symptom may exacerbate the other,” says Liu. “Given these complex interactions, we expected that some synergistic effects of these symptoms on healthcare use might exist in patients with OA. Our study did not detect such synergistic effects, which was surprising, but it is good from the patient’s perspective.” RELATED: What Does Arthritis Pain Feel Like?
Osteoarthritis Is a Common Problem for Adults
Osteoarthritis is considered the most common joint disorder in the United States, but the prevalence of the condition varies slightly from one study to the next. According to research published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, nearly 27 million adults in the United States have clinical osteoarthritis. More recently, a study published in August 2015 in the journal Arthritis Care & Research estimated that as many as 30.8 million U.S. adults (13.4 percent of the adult population) had osteoarthritis between 2008 and 2011. RELATED: What Happens to Your Body When You Don’t Sleep
When Joint Pain Combines With Insomnia and Depression, People Seek Care
The high numbers of older adults experiencing osteoarthritis helped inspire Liu’s research. “OA is quite common in older adults,” he says. “More importantly, OA is usually accompanied with chronic pain, which is bothersome. Personally, my mother also suffers from OA, and I can see that the pain condition has limited her daily activities.”
The Takeaway Message? Be Proactive to Prevent Depression, Insomnia
Liu feels the results of the study can help inform patients with OA through health education. “With this knowledge, they can be aware that OA pain may often go together with insomnia and mood issues, so they can seek appropriate treatment proactively,” says Liu. “Further, patients with OA pain may derive additional benefit from treatment to improve sleep, as other research by my coauthors suggests that improving sleep in OA patients results in improved pain, depression, and fatigue.” Given the high prevalence of these complications in OA patients, Liu recommends that people with OA submit to screening for sleep and mood issues. RELATED: Understanding Primary and Secondary Osteoarthritis
Talk to Your Doctor About Getting Treated to Help Relieve Symptoms
The good news: Difficulty sleeping and insomnia, as well as depression and low mood issues, are all treatable problems. Ask your doctor if you need help with depression or mood. Many effective treatments for depression are available, some of which help address insomnia and depression simultaneously. If you are struggling to get healthy sleep and rest, discuss with your doctor the best insomnia therapies and treatment options for you.
What About Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain and Related Sleep and Mood Problems?
Given the results of the study, Liu would like to see additional research done related to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). “Our study excluded older adults with RA,” he says. “Although RA shares some characteristics of pain with OA, they are different in terms of the causes and locations of pain. Our results should be interpreted and generalized to RA patients only with caution. I would say some of these findings, like the high prevalence of pain, insomnia, and depression, might apply to people living with RA and OA pain. However, how RA and OA pain interact with insomnia and depression needs further investigation.” RELATED: 10 Hot and Cold Therapy Tips to Tame Joint Pain
