Researchers find a strong link between sleep disturbances, pain and depression among osteoarthritis patients.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, one of the top three health concerns in the United States. Previous studies have found that over 30 million Americans suffer from this condition, which costs the country more than $186 billion in healthcare. Other studies say that this condition also results in a 31 percent increase in sleep disturbances, 81 percent increase in maintaining sleep at night and 77 percent increase in general sleep problems.
"Sleep disturbance is a common complaint among those with pain, particularly among those with OA," explains Dr. Patricia Parmelee from the Center for Mental Health & Aging at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa in a press statement. "Our research is unique as we investigate the complex relationships among sleep, OA-related pain, disability and depressed mood simultaneously in a single study."
For the study, researchers examined details of 288 patients with knee OA. They collected data on each patient's sleep disturbances, pain, functional limitations, and depressive symptoms. This helped them predict pain, disability and depression after a one-year period. Researchers found that sleep was independently associated with pain and depression. However no such association was found between sleep problems and disabilities. Researchers also noted that people suffering from high pain levels and poor sleep were more likely to experience depression.
"This study shows that depression plays a strong role in the sleep-pain connection, particularly with severe pain. Further investigation of sleep in disability progression may lead to new interventions that disrupt the cycle of OA distress," the study authors added.
The findings of this research were published online in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.
