Johns Hopkins Health Alert
Managing Chronic Back Pain
This Health Alert is intended for readers interested in learning about the prevention, diagnosis, and management of back pain.
Research on the use of opioid medication to relieve chronic back pain yields surprising results.
Most cases of back pain resolve in a matter of weeks to months, but for some people the pain becomes a constant problem that interferes with their daily lives. If ignored, chronic back pain -- generally defined as unremitting pain that lasts at least six months and is not relieved by standard treatments -- can lead to depression, disturbed sleep, poor balance, withdrawal from physical and social activities, inability to work, and a reduced quality of life.
- Contrary to what you might expect, taking opioids to ease long-term, chronic pain unrelated to cancer does not in fact relieve pain. Nor does it improve quality of life or every-day functioning.
Opioids are strong narcotics often prescribed for severe pain when other medications don’t work. In a study reported in the journal Pain (Volume 125, page 172), Danish researchers interviewed more than 10,000 adults with chronic pain (but not cancer) that had lasted at least six months, asking how satisfied they were with their treatments. The researchers analyzed responses separately for opiate users and others. They also took into consideration the subjects’ age, gender, pain intensity, and use of anxiety and depression medications.
Surprisingly, those who used opioids were much more likely to report moderate to severe or very severe pain, poor health, unemployment, more use of health care services, and a poorer quality of life. While pain can have many causes and may be difficult to pin down, the researchers described their results as “remarkable,” because opioids did not seem to achieve any of the key goals of pain treatment.
Posted in Back Pain on February 1, 2008
Medical Disclaimer: This information is not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician. Click here for additional information: Johns Hopkins Health Alerts Disclaimer
Notify Me
Would you like us to inform you when we post new Back Pain Health Alerts?
Comments
Health Alerts registered users may post comments and share experiences here at their own discretion. We regret that questions on individual health concerns to the Johns Hopkins editors cannot be answered in this space.
The views expressed here do not constitute medical advice, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins Medicine or Remedy Health Media, LLC, which has no responsibility for any comments posted on this site.
Post a Comment
Already a subscriber?
Login
New to Johns Hopkins Health Alerts?
I`ve had chronic bck & nck pain 4 about 7 yrs. The Dr`s have done all the routine x-rays,mri`s,mylogram`s,ct & cant find anything wrong Now the pain has moved into my shoulder & arm. I`ve been 2 pain managements & the just prescribed opioids. I`ve taken,Hyrocodone,oxycodone,Oxycontin,MS Contin,Fentanyl patches,somas,robaxin,baclofen,skeleton & more I cant recall. None of them really helped me,except in strong Mg's. Then I was afraid of addiction. So, I quit the clinics & now I still suffer with severe pain. I take BC powders 2 help me because of the aspirin & sometimes I take 2 many & get an overdose of aspirin & my gerd flares up,so I have 2 take medicine 4 it! I just try 2 make Thur,1 day at a time & I PRAY ALOT!! Thank-U 4 read-en this!! white_russian!
Posted by: white_russian | May 1, 2010 4:36 PM