Osteoarthritis and depression

Professor David Hunter, rheumatologist

Another really common consequence of disease particularly osteoarthritis is that of depression, poor coping, catastrophising and stress that occur as a consequence of the disease and in that context it's incredibly important that a person seek help not just for the management of their symptoms but also for the management of the psychological ailments which commonly travel with osteoarthritis as well.

Matthew Williams, physiotherapist

A common  misconception with what a physiotherapist can  do for you is purely just to treat your joint  but they're also involved in a holistic method  of care and this involves being able to  identify if you're having frustration  or depression issues related to dealing  with osteoarthritis which is very common  for example in my program up to 40% of the  individuals that we see detected as having  depression or some form of mental health illness  and so your physiotherapist should be actively  engaged in referring you onwards to your GP  to see a psychologist or a counsellor to help  deal with these types of issues and overcome  motivational barriers associated with this.