Back pain comes with an emotional toll, as well as a physical one. This emotional stress can accumulate and worsen back pain, creating a cyclical effect. We recently covered when you should seek treatment for back pain, but when should you address the emotional side?
The Lutheran Spine Center at Denver West offers a holistic approach for back pain, led by highly trained and experienced spine care professionals. This approach targets the psychological impact of chronic pain.
Susan H. Nack, DO and Medical Director of Lutheran Spine Center, has seen the emotional challenges in her patients’ back pain. “When you have chronic back pain, you have some type of functional loss in quality of life, which can lead to depression and anxiety,” she said. “The emotional and psychosocial aspect of pain are addressed in our behavioral health department.”
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, back pain is more common in people with mood disorders and anxiety, than those without them. It can be a chicken and egg situation, where one exacerbates the other.
The Lutheran Spine Center addresses this by assessing the whole person, including behavioral and emotional challenges. The center also staffs pain psychologists in their behavioral health department, who offer counseling and other resources.
Courses are offered at the center to educate patients on how to tackle the emotional side that may worsen physical back pain. One is a neuroscience course which examines the effects of back pain on your brain, and the other offers a mindfulness stress reduction approach to manage anxiety.
The Lutheran Spine Center’s holistic approach, and resources available for the emotional side of back pain, is a unique treatment experience.
“Our behavioral health department is probably our biggest and fastest growing department,” said Dr. Nack. “Even nationwide, there are very few comprehensive spine centers that are equipped to handle the behavioral health component of back pain.”
The clinic assesses your needs and creates a personalized treatment plan, with a team of psychiatrists, physical therapists, psychologists, acupuncturists, and more. Dr. Nack emphasized the importance of starting with a conservative approach at a multidisciplinary spine center. And if it becomes time for surgery, you are physically and mentally better prepared to forge the next steps in your spine care.
“I can’t tell you how many times I treat depression and anxiety disorders, and their back pain becomes manageable or resolves,” said Dr. Nack. “I am passionate about treating the whole person with a focus on improving their physical and emotional state, and ultimately their quality of life.”
The Lutheran Spine Center’s treatment recognizes that back pain is not just about the body, but the mind. If you or someone you know is struggling with back pain, consider the Lutheran Spine Center your first line of defense for holistic pain relief.
