Your chronic pain makes daily life hard to manage. Small tasks seem like milestones, and by the time night rolls around, you’re tossing and turning from the aches and discomfort.
The morning comes, and you’re irritable from the lack of sleep, which leads to further stress and anxiety. This turns into a vicious cycle. Chronic pain leads to poor sleep, which leads to low mood, which increases your pain, and the cycle continues. Insomnia and depression start to feel like part of your norm. But why does it all happen?
It’s All Connected
Sleep problems disrupt multiple natural systems in your body that play a critical role in regulating pain and mood.
Endorphins: This hormone acts as a natural painkiller. Poor sleep lowers the production of endorphins, resulting in increased pain.
Dopamine: This “feel good” hormone supports how your body manages your mood, pain, and energy. The less dopamine your body produces, the more pain your body perceives.
Melatonin: Best known for regulating sleep, it also plays a crucial role in reducing inflammation and pain.
Cortisol: The hormone commonly referred to as the “stress hormone” increases with lack of sleep. High levels of cortisol lead to increased inflammation and make your body more sensitive to pain.
In our blog, “The Relationship Between Chronic Pain and Depression: How to Break the Cycle,” we dive into the relationship between pain and depression and how to find lasting relief.
Common Treatments
You might know that getting better sleep could help you feel better, but when you’re in pain, it feels impossible. The cycle from chronic pain -> sleep problems -> depression continues.
Many people turn to common treatments like opioids, antidepressants, and physical therapy to manage chronic pain, but these treatments come with limitations and side effects. Opioids may help manage the pain, but their side effects can disrupt the REM sleep cycle, boost energy even during the nighttime, and carry a high risk of addiction. Antidepressants are often prescribed to help regulate mood and pain perception. However, they often alter sleep cycles, which can worsen insomnia. Physical therapy, on the other hand, is always a good treatment for improving mobility and managing symptoms, but it doesn’t often get to the root of the issue.
Ketamine therapy has shown a lot of promise as a treatment for chronic pain. It works differently than other treatment options, as it rewires the way your brain perceives pain. Not only does it help avoid the use of opioids, but it also works by blocking the pain receptors and resetting the pain pathways in the brain. Those suffering from CRPS and fibromyalgia often experience an overly sensitive nervous system. Ketamine helps by calming the nervous system and reducing inflammation, which provides lasting relief with minimal side effects. Learn more about how ketamine can help with chronic pain.
Contact Vitalitas Denver
You don’t have to keep living in this vicious cycle. If you are struggling with chronic pain, insomnia, or mental health challenges, ketamine therapy could provide you with much-needed relief. Contact our team today, and we can help you start feeling better.
Vitalitas Denver, a leading ketamine treatment center, has a psychiatric nurse practitioner on staff who can help you determine the best options for postpartum depression treatment. Whether it be ketamine infusions or a combination of traditional depression treatments, our team is here to help support you.
