Travel therapy professionals: Learn how to ease depression in osteoarthritis patients

As a travel therapy professional, it's important that you are able to promote joint health in your patients. One major health issue you're likely to come in contact with on the job is arthritis: It can affect all ages and nearly any joint in the body. According to Fox News, patients who are suffering from osteoarthritis in particular are twice as likely to experience depressive symptoms. Although physical activity can be great for both of these issues, research shows that ibuprofen may also be useful for pain and sadness.

Recent findings
A group of doctors, lead by a professional from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, decided to see how non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) would affect patients with depression symptoms who had been diagnosed with osteoarthritis. In order to do so, there were five post-approval trials performed, each of which took place over the course of six weeks. A total of 1,497 participants were randomly split into groups: one was administered ibuprofen 800 milligrams three times daily or naproxen 500 mg twice daily and the other received Celebrex 200 mg daily.

Through use of the the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, researchers were able to track depression in the participants. According to the collected data, NSAIDs were more effective than antidepressants in treating symptoms of depression in osteoarthritis patients. The authors noted that further investigations are required to find out what the maximum dosages of these drugs are as well as how social and environmental changes affect the outcome.

"This work suggests that anti-inflammatory agents may play a role in reducing the burden of depression," Dr. Michael Farkouh, one of the study's authors, told PsychCentral.

Osteoarthritis
Most people you are working with as a travel PT will experience osteoarthritis in their hands, neck, lower back, knees and hips. However, the condition can affect any of the joints. This condition is more common as people age, as it is caused by wear-and-tear on the joints. As the cartilage between bones diminishes, a patient will experience pain in addition to possible tenderness, stiffness, loss of flexibility or the sensation that joints are grating when moved. These side effects can lead to issues of depression in some people.

Recognizing depression
Signs of depression vary from person to person, but you may want to encourage a patient to talk to a professional if they:

  • Are constantly anxious and/or sad
  • Have lost feelings of hope
  • Become easily irritated and restless
  • Lose interest in activities once enjoyed
  • Have trouble sleeping
  • Suffer from medical conditions that are not explainable or eased by treatment

As someone working travel therapy jobs, it's important not to jump to conclusions. However, if you notice these issues when working with a patient who has osteoarthritis, you may want to say something. Beforehand, do your research and have a referral for them. You can also talk to your colleagues about who to direct your patients to for treatment of depression. Additionally, they may experience some relief if you direct them to take ibuprofen for any flares of pain they encounter.