Chronic pain and depression go hand-in-hand—here’s how to fix both

A new survey out of Columbia University confirms the connection between a painful body and painful emotions. The researchers interviewed more than 5,000 adults with depression, anxiety, or another mood disorder—and about half of them also suffered from chronic pain.

The researchers call it the “dual burden” of physical and mental illness. And it highlights the need to also treat depression and other mood disorders if you’re suffering from chronic pain.

But as Dr. Fred Pescatore stresses in his Essential Pain Protocol, “The treatment should not be pharmaceutical antidepressants. Those drugs are rife with risks.”  Instead, Dr. Pescatore insists on natural treatments to overcome mood disorders like depression.

He says, “I start with recommending 30 minutes of daily exercise. Research has found that regular exercise is 50 percent more effective than antidepressant medication in the long-term relief of depression.”

Plus—when researchers at the University of Oxford reviewed 264 studies that included more than 19,600 chronic pain patients, they found that physical activity also helped reduced pain severity and improved quality of life.

Along with exercise, Dr. Pescatore also recommends two key supplements. The first is omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil: 3,000 mg of combined EPA and DHA—the two primary fatty acids. And the second is vitamin D3: 10,000 IUs daily.

Recent research shows that the two omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D actually work together to maximize your body’s levels of serotonin —the famous “feel good” neurotransmitter that regulates cognitive function. He describes the process like this:

• Vitamin D kicks off the process by regulating serotonin production.
• EPA steps in to influence the release of that serotonin.
• And finally, DHA helps efficiently usher the serotonin into the brain’s receptors.

The result? A better mood.

But researchers found that the effects of this natural combo could be so powerful, they could even have benefits for more serious mental conditions

“In fact,” Dr. Pescatore says, “they noted that vitamin D and fish oil may be particularly good at battling bipolar disorder, conditions whose symptoms include mood disorders (like schizophrenia), and conditions like ADHD (which can lead to a mood disorder if left untreated).

“Low serotonin levels are also linked with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), antisocial behavior, aggressive behavior and self-injury. And studies show that supplementation with vitamin D and fish oil is effective for treating symptoms of all of these.”

The takeaway: natural remedies can help treat both chronic pain and mood disorders—and that’s a much better option than jumping on a dangerous merry-go-round of painkillers and antidepressants.