Prescription opioids may not be as effective in treating lower back pain as perceived, a latest study has found.

Lower back pain is a typical issue that affects roughly 540 million people worldwide. In america, around 80 million staff, comprising 50% of the workforce, experience at the least one episode of lower back pain every year.

In line with the clinical guidelines of the North American Spine Society, relating to treating lower back pain, physicians are advised to exercise caution and restrict using opioids to a brief duration. Opioid medications ought to be really useful only after other pharmacological treatments have proven ineffective or if the patient is unable to take alternative medications for private reasons.

Despite there being “no evidence of their efficacy in reducing pain, opioid pain relievers are still widely prescribed for individuals with lower back and neck pain in lots of countries,” study writer Christine Lin, a professor on the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health on the University of Sydney in Australia, told CNN.

The most recent study, published within the journal Lancet, involved 310 people searching for treatment for neck or lower back pain and compared the effectiveness of opioids to a placebo. The participants were divided into two groups, with one receiving opioids and the opposite receiving a placebo pill. After six weeks of treatment, there was no significant difference in pain reduction between the 2 groups. Moreover, the group that received opioids experienced more adversarial effects and poorer mental health scores in comparison with the placebo group.

The findings suggest that opioids may not offer substantial pain relief for neck and lower back pain and may potentially result in negative unintended effects. These results highlight the necessity for alternative approaches to managing such pain and the importance of cautious prescribing practices for opioids.

The study indicates that opioids have minimal or negligible impact in addressing acute lower back pain. Moreover, researchers express concerns concerning the potential risks related to these medications.

“As an alternative, doctors ought to be encouraged to give attention to patient-centred approaches that might include advice to remain lively, and straightforward pain relievers,” Lin added. “The excellent news is most individuals with acute low back pain and neck pain recuperate inside 6 weeks naturally.”

Published by Medicaldaily.com