Opioids Don't Work Well for Chronic Pain and Are Overused, Study Finds

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found the effect of opioids is uncertain for chronic pain, reports NBC News . The drugs are most important for pain associated with cancer, but are often overprescribed for back pain, headaches, post-surgical pain, and other conditions. "Compared with placebo, opioids were associated with small improvements in pain, physical functioning, and sleep quality; unimportant improvements in social functioning; and no improvements in emotional functioning or role functioning," note McMaster University researchers. They also say "opioids were associated with increased vomiting, drowsiness, constipation, dizziness, nausea, dry mouth, and pruritus (itching)." The study is consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) determination that opioids are not effective for controlling many types of pain. The agency has been pushing for doctors to prescribe opioids only when absolutely necessary, and to prescribe as low a dose as possible for the shortest time possible. The CDC recommends Tylenol or drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen, as well as low-tech options such as ice, physical therapy, and massage. "When opioids fail to provide pain relief, a common response by clinicians may be dose escalation rather than reconsidering use of the drug," says Michael Ashburn and Lee Fleisher of the University of Pennsylvania.