Study knee pain can also promote depression

Knee pain caused by osteoarthritis can have dire consequences

Many people suffer from knee pain, which is often due to osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis affects millions of people worldwide. Occurring knee pain as a result of osteoarthritis can affect the quality of life, which in turn appears to lead to depression.

The researchers from Toho University and Keio University in Japan published the results of their recent study in the English journal "Journal of the American Geriatrics Society".

Knee pain can lead to significantly lower quality of life in those affected. Such a reduced quality of life then often results in depression. (Image: artstudio_pro / fotolia.com)

So far, there has been little research on this topic

When people suffer from knee pain due to osteoarthritis, this often results in the onset of depression. This effect is due to the general deterioration in quality of life, explain the experts. So far, few studies have looked at the effects of knee pain on the development of depression. The physicians examined how knee pain and impaired knee function affect depression.

573 subjects participated in the study

For their study, the researchers looked at data from 573 people aged 65 and over to assess the impact of knee pain on the health and quality of life of older adults in central Japan. At the beginning of the study (between 2005 and 2006), none of the participants had symptoms of depression. At the end of the study, all participants participated in a survey. The subjects then answered questions about their knee pain and were also examined for depression symptoms.

Twelve percent of participants developed depression

The researchers found that almost twelve percent of participants had symptoms of depression at the end of the study. If people often suffered from knee pain in bed at night or had pain while putting on stockings, for example, those affected were more likely to report symptoms of depression, the study's authors explain.

Older people with knee pain should be checked for depression

The researchers concluded in their study that older adults with knee pain would probably benefit if they were to be screened for their risk of depression.

Knee pain affects the quality of life

Pain in the knees can severely affect people. Physical activity is important for good health and is prescribed by doctors to treat a range of illnesses including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. But many people do not follow this advice because of their aching joints and the fear that exercise could damage those joints. However, research has shown in recent years that sport is a good painkiller. Today, exercise is recommended worldwide for the treatment of painful joints in middle-aged and elderly people.

Training protects against pain

The implementation of this recommendation is not easy. Most people first experience a ten percent increase in pain when they start exercising physically. However, this is not a warning sign, but the body signals only that those affected do something that they were not used to, explain the doctors. Bones, muscles and cartilage in the human body adapt to the load over time and their quality improves as people exercise regularly. (As)