The secret sadness that makes us achy

Whats is the main symptom of depression? Sadness? Wrong!

Turns out, that 69 percent of depressed people, their main symptoms are physical ones, such as headaches, neck pain, jount stiffness, digestive problems and backaches, says Marie-Annette Brown, Ph.D., professor of nursing at the University of Washington. It seems that shortfalls of serotonin and norepinephine-hormones that affect mood-also interfere with the body's ability to control pain. Fortunately, new research suggests you can control the depression and quickly eliminate your stubborn aches and pains just by:

1. Asking about this pill

Unlike other antidepressants, Cymbalta (duloxetine)-often prescribed for migraines and fibromyalgia-boosts levels of serotonin and norepinephrine, and has been shown to dampen depression related physical aches and pains in as little as two days!

2. Gently stretching

After patients in chronic pain practiced yoga for one month, they experienced fewer aches and needed less medication. Turns out, this stress-busting exercises prods the brain to make more painkilling antidepressant hormones. Not a yoga fan? Try taking a brisk 20-minute walk outside. "Combining sunlight and motion is a fast way to boost your production of serotonin and norepinephrine," says Brown, coauthor of When Your Body Gets the Blues. "Its such a powerful combo, it eases symptoms for up to five hours,"

If its not depression...

Up to 30 percent of women with blue moods or achy bodies don't need antidepressant medication at all-they need thyroid supplements! If prescription mood-boosters or at-home strategies don't give you relief within eight weeks, ask your doctor for a blood test to check your thyroid function.

3. Meditating to turn off aches

A mere 20 minutes of meditation a day can cut the amount of pain you feel by 28 percent. This simple practice-just sit comfortably with your eyes closed in a quiet room and repeat a pleasant word like "love" or "peace" in your mind over and over-helps your brain tune out up to half of the pain signals it receives from your nervous system, says researchers.

Pressure up? Sit in the sun

Soak up 15 minutes of sunlight daily boost your levels of vitamin D. New research shows that the risk of cardiovascular disease doubles if you have high blood pressure and low levels of vitamin D.

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