Chronic (non-cancer) pain management is a complex part of healthcare. Treating patients in order to relieve pain is often hard to do in a completely safe and risk free manner, especially in the long term. A common treatment method for individuals with chronic pain is opioid painkillers. Opioid painkillers have numerous side effects with the biggest risks being that of abuse, dependence, and the possibility of death from an overdose. The risk of using opioids compared to the benefits, or efficacy, is evaluated through conducting a case-control study. In the case-control study of the effectiveness and risk of opioids, the “cases” are comprised of those receiving opioids for chronic pain treatment. The control group consists of those receiving
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This was based on the variables of risk studied, as the odds ratios were significantly higher in the opioid group for every variable, especially the risk of addiction. The odds of developing an addiction were found to be 122.5 times more in those receiving high dosage opioids compared to those receiving non-opioid treatments.1 There is however insufficient evidence provided by the data to support that opioid treatment reduces pain significantly better than do non-opioid treatments. An additional an evidence based review comprised of aggregated data from multiple case-control studies concerning opioid passed pain management also found that there was no link between opioid treatment and significant pain improvement.2 The evidence review did however find that the overwhelming majority of case-control studies conducted showed a significant correlation between opioid treatment and aberrant drug related behaviors/opioid abuse. Therefore, while opioids may present as a valid and easy way to manage chronic pain, the reality is quite different. Opioids provide no significant long-term pain relief and have many disabling and possibly fatal side effects, thus, healthcare professionals should seek a safer and more effective treatment for chronic pain
This was based on the variables of risk studied, as the odds ratios were significantly higher in the opioid group for every variable, especially the risk of addiction. The odds of developing an addiction were found to be 122.5 times more in those receiving high dosage opioids compared to those receiving non-opioid treatments.1 There is however insufficient evidence provided by the data to support that opioid treatment reduces pain significantly better than do non-opioid treatments. An additional an evidence based review comprised of aggregated data from multiple case-control studies concerning opioid passed pain management also found that there was no link between opioid treatment and significant pain improvement.2 The evidence review did however find that the overwhelming majority of case-control studies conducted showed a significant correlation between opioid treatment and aberrant drug related behaviors/opioid abuse. Therefore, while opioids may present as a valid and easy way to manage chronic pain, the reality is quite different. Opioids provide no significant long-term pain relief and have many disabling and possibly fatal side effects, thus, healthcare professionals should seek a safer and more effective treatment for chronic pain