More than 630,000 adults in Lancashire - over half of the adult population - are affected by chronic pain. Over 370,000 are also suffering from depression that is directly linked to that pain. Instead of receiving targeted pain relief, they are being put on long-term antidepressants that mask the symptoms but miss the cause.
"Chronic pain doesn't just hurt your body, it affects your ability to live a full life," says Dr Ganesan Baranidharan Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
"Too often, people are diagnosed with depression and medicated, but the real problem, nerve pain, goes completely untreated as it usually doesn't show up on scans, it can be difficult to describe, and it frequently gets missed."
Neuropathy is one of the most common and misunderstood causes of persistent pain, typically felt as burning, stabbing, or electric shock-like sensations. It can result from diabetes, injury, surgery, or unknown causes. Women and older adults are particularly at risk of being misdiagnosed.
"There are millions of people who've been told for years they have depression or anxiety, when in fact they're living with unrecognised nerve pain," adds Dr Baranidharan.
"Antidepressants might dull the emotional impact, but they don't solve the pain. They're treating the symptom, not the root cause."
“Innovative treatments such as neuromodulation are now available on the NHS, offering powerful pain relief without relying on medication. Devices featuring AI technology such as Nevro’s spinal cord stimulators which directly target the source of nerve pain and help restore physical and emotional well-being, are now widely in use at specialist Pain Clinics across the UK.”
Dr Baranidharan also warns: "Chronic pain and depression often go hand-in-hand, but both are treatable, if properly diagnosed. If you're on antidepressants but still battling unexplained pain, it's time to ask: is this depression, or is it something else?"
"If you're living with persistent pain and have been diagnosed with depression, it's time to get answers. Talk to your GP or ask for a referral to a Pain Clinic. The right treatment could transform your life."
For more information, visit: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/pain/how-to-get-nhs-help-for-your-pain