Can you suggest a solution for Chronic pain and Depression?

I am on the same boat, more to that I was very upset nothing is working and decide to end then I end up in hospital last month.

I know exactly how you feel ever since I fell down and injured my lower back at work last year my whole life changed because of the pain.
 
I have seen 6 GPs 3 orthopaedics 1 physician 3 physiotherapist 2 psychologists 2 psychiatrists over the past 1 year ever since my injury at work…it feels like hell.
 
I have tried all the medications you mentioned before and while I was in hospital as well. I have a very sensitive body build to the oral medications as well, so I ends up vomiting, skin itchy, headache, feeling disgusting most of the time, ulcers in my mouth, heartburn and hard to breath after I swallow the tablets. More to that, I lost 10kg, the medications, pain and my emotion comes to a result of loosing my appetite.
 
Therefore, I have decided take actions to this nightmare process and something different for a change. I ask my family to take me to a very experienced Chinese medicine doctor as soon as I got out of hospital that day.
 
And I told the Chinese herbal medicine doctor; I have depression, anxiety and very bad pain from my lower back to my bottom of my foot. I need herbs to help me have stable emotions, helps me sleep at night and help me have my appetite.
 
Whether anyone believe or not, it is a FACT that the herbs works for my body after trying it for just over one months, taking the herbal tea twice a day. For the pain part, I decided to tried some acupuncture that I never really believed in, I had about 7 sessions now over 3 weeks, I do slowly feel a little difference in terms of the flexibility.
 
I did some research as well acupuncture do works well with chiropractor treatments. And I am trying that as well. I just had my first session today so there is not much to tell yet about chronic pain. But I did previously have experience with chiropractor for my headache that my neck is out of alignment from the cause of long hours office working in front of computers.
 
On the other hand, I think its very important for my emotions to improve I make sure that I have 2 sessions with my Psychologists every week to help build up strong positive minds and have plans to deal with treatment pains and dealing with family pressures and other pressures that makes my injury in a worse situation.
 
I am currently still on a patch (pain killer norspan 5mg) but I still feel a lot of sharp pain every now and then and I am trying to get rid of the addiction I have for this pain killer patch that makes me very anxious if I don’t have it.
 
After all these going around in circles of my injury, my plan is to heal my body in the natural way and not taking painkillers for the rest of my life if I can.
 
I hope sharing my story helps you, find a treatment/rehab that suits you and would work for your body build. Only you know what you need for your body the most, medical people can only help/advise you to a certain degree from their education knowledge and experiences.
 
 

The problem of chronic pain and depression can be such a merry go round which is far from merry! There is quite a lot of research now into this area with good results. I would suggest reading a copy of: Explain Pain by Lorimer Mosely and David Butler. Also this link connects to a handy little animation which may help http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b8oB757DKc

Hi Kevin,

I further support the responses above, describing the complex nature of chronic pain. 
Resources from the Neuro Orthopaedic Institute are very useful, and evidence based.

Understanding the underlying mechanisms of persistent pain is important in developing the best management strategy. The following video is another good resource to help explain the complexity of persistent pain, as well as our current understanding as to how best seek guidence. 

http://physiodevelopment.com/2013/07/understanding-chronic-pain/

Hope that helps you understand your pain better.

Luke McManus.

If you live in or have access to Sydney, the Pain Management & Research Centre, based at Royal North Shore Hospital, is highly regarded.
This link might help: http://sydney.edu.au/medicine/pmri/patient-services/ .

The Consultant Psychiatrist with training and experience in helping Patients with disabling pain has a great deal to offer. 

The prescribing and supervision of medications for disabling pain and depression requires a background in Psychiatry in order to achieve an optimal outcome, because the effective doses of these medicines must be highly individualised, and are often optimally used in combination. In addition, management of effective medicine combinations require skilled attention to possible side effects and their management. 

The list of appropriate medications in these circumstances is daunting for doctors without Psychiatry experience in the Pain Medicine field- what combination from venlafaxine, amitryptaline, pregabalin, gabapentin, duloxetine, sodium valproate, carbamazepine, lamotrigine, diazepam, clonidine, oxycodone, fentanyl, ketamine, etc, etc are appropriate in any particular case? At what doses? For what duration?

One must not underestimate the value of the professional network coordinating treatments supervised by Clinical Psychologists, such as relaxation training, and meditation techniques, and treatments supervised by Physiotherapists and Exercise Physiologists, by Anaesthetists with expertise in pain blocking techniques, nor the value of a Solicitor skilled in the field of compensation issues.

One must also not underestimate the extremely stressful complexities for patients in negotiating Workers Compensation and Transport Accident Commision systems. The Consultant Psychiatrist with expertise in the field of Pain and Depression Management has a vital role in helping the Patient and Patient's Family to negotiate such stresses.