Posted on 06/29/2023 9:25:39 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
Opioid pain-relieving medicines are not more effective than a placebo in relieving acute back and neck pain and may even cause harm, according to a world-first trial.
Over 577 million people worldwide experience low back and neck pain at any one time.
The OPAL trial recruited close to 350 participants from 157 primary care and emergency department sites. Participants with acute-meaning sudden and generally short-term-back or neck pain were randomly allocated to a six-week course of a commonly prescribed opioid or a placebo.
Both groups also received standard care including advice to avoid bed rest and stay active. Participants were followed for 52 weeks.
Study results:
At six weeks, those who received opioids did not have better pain relief than those given the placebo.
Quality of life and pain outcomes at long-term follow-up were better in the placebo group.
Patients who received opioids were at a small but significantly higher risk of opioid misuse 12-months after their short course of medication.
The research team says that according to current back and neck pain guidelines opioids can be considered as a last resort if all other pharmacological options have failed, however, this study is evidence that opioids should not be recommended at all.
"We have clearly shown there is no benefit to prescribing an opioid for pain management in people with acute back or neck pain, and in fact, it could cause harm in the long-term even with only a short course of treatment," said lead investigator Professor Christine Lin.
"Opioids should not be recommended for acute back and neck pain. Not even when other drug treatments are not able to be prescribed or have not been effective for a patient."
The study complements previous research into opioid use for chronic (long-term) low back pain which found a small treatment benefit.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
BS! I have bad low back pain at times and I was not able to lie on a ice pack until taking opioids. Just away for government to control doctor patient relationship.
This is because opioids cause constipation. Counter with diet and frequent doses of Miralax. Learned this the hard way after mt first surgery. Bloody doctors and nurses HAD to have known, but didn't bother to tell me.
BS. I’d know if it was just a placebo which invalidates the test. I’ve taken opioids and there is more that happens than just pain relief.
Constipation is a well known side effect and it’s listed on that sheet of paper your pharmacist almost certainly provided when you picked up that prescription.
I doubt it. There seems to be a cumulative effect as I take them, and yes I do take preventative meds for the inevitable constipation that occurs when taking opioids, it just doesn't work all that well for me. I was seeing pain docs when I was given gabapentin and was having back pain issues and in fact they eschewed opiods, but had given them to me when I was in acute pain. I always asked for about 3 days worth as the rest would be a waste and I have to dispose of them. I explained why, they went through the proper use, things I could do to attempt to alleviate the side effects, etc. Everyone is different and we don't all fit into a definitive mold for how we react to meds.
Yes, I know all about it and took meds to counter the issue both prior to and while taking opiods, it just didn’t help me very much.
You’re absolutely right! This is crap! These so-called researchers could never have treated patients with “acute” pain, using placebos! That’s pure, un-adulterated bullshit!
Yes ... that's for sure.
One of the main things that gets missed ...
short term use for acute pain ... 1 or 2 days is very different then use for long term.
Long term requires a slow process of low dose increase.
Too many times Drs will jump right in to an effective dose as if they were treating acute pain that will diminish quickly.
The body can revolt and reject that approach.
That's where the pain scale comes in ... the goal is to get from 9 to 8 then 7 etc... not 9 to 3 overnight.
The 1/2 life of opiates is 4 hours, an understanding of timing is critical to achieve the desired blood levels .
As well as diet and dose timing.
The training to handle long term use can take a long time before a balance is reached.
I'm glad that you got relief ...
we need all the options we can get.
But I will add that your statement ...
"There seems to be a cumulative effect as I take them, and yes I do take preventative meds for the inevitable constipation that occurs when taking opiates,"
Indicates your dosing schedule may have allowed the level of opiates in your system to raise to much to fast. Constipation is a result of that also, it's not inevitable. example ...5mg initial dose ...4 hrs 2.5 blood level 8hrs 1.25 blood level 12 hrs .625 blood level. Taking 5mg every 12 hrs already has you on an increase base line blood level accelerating at about 1 mg a day. 3 times a day schedule would be even faster.Higher then 5mg dose even faster.
You get my drift.....
Like I'm going to be reading fine print while suffering pain that was Level 8 even with the opioids. All I could think of those first few days was how to stay asleep, because I wasn't aware of it then.
Back and neck pain has been with me for decades now. It makes life un-enjoyable. There are indeed few options.
“acute” pain, using placebos!”
yup ... I think that’s the real give away statement right there.
No one in there right mind would believe that placebo would be as effective as opiate for acute pain. Even a die hard “no drugs for anybody” type has to know that is a total crock.
Is it osteoarthritis?
I was addicted to placebos once. They are not as bad as you think.
America needs to get over the idea of a pill being a magic way to fix your body.
Yes it is, with lumbar spinal stenosis thrown in for good measure.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3761669/posts?page=39#39
“I was addicted to placebos once. They are not as bad as you think.”
Except for when you are stumbling around downtown and asking strangers, “Can you spot me five bucks, I got to score me some placebo.”
Thank you! I will try that immediately.
Yep
You can make any study say what you want except suicide by gun
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