Study: Opioid treatment is not superior to non-opioid treatment for some pain

A new study compares the effects of opioid versus non-opioid medications.

Researchers approached the study with this question: Does opioid medication compared with non-opioid medication result in better pain-related function for patients with moderate to severe chronic back pain or hip or knee osteoarthritis pain despite analgesic use?

The randomized clinical trial included 240 patients. It found the use of opioid vs non-opioid medication therapy did not result in significantly better pain-related function over 12 months.

Researchers concluded this study does not support initiation of opioid therapy for moderate to severe chronic back pain or hip or knee osteoarthritis pain.

You can read the results of the entire study here.