Study Reveals Predictors Of Long-term Opioid Use For Back Pain

[Justin]

Despite limited evidence of long-term success in using opioid pain medications for chronic low back pain, opioid prescribing has increased in recent years for back pain and other non-cancer pain indications. The implications are controversial as published studies provide little evidence indicating which patients will benefit from long-term opioid treatment.....

Study Reveals Predictors Of Long-term Opioid Use For Back Pain (click here for the full article at Medical News Today)

[Mollyhopp]

Very interesting Justin! Thanks for posting.

[Katie]

"risks associated with continued pain management with opioids in some patients may outweigh the risks of surgery. This might be a factor worth considering in surgical decision making for patients with herniated discs or stenosis,"

I wish the Canadian surgeons would take a serious look at this. Almost universally, they say that they will not operate JUST for pain. As if it was a minimal side effect. Pain can kill. It renders us useless. And they just do not get it.

The amount of narcotics I am on is ruining my life. The side effects often make me socially unacceptable; people look at me like some kind of criminal at times, just after taking a much needed dose. The stigma is almost unbearable. And while it may be a coincidence, the long list of serious allergies began just a few months after I started the large doses of morphine. My allergist seriously thinks there is a correlation. So yes, the risks of the drugs seriously outweigh the surgery, at least for me.

Thanks for posting this, Justin. Now if I could just get my long list of surgeons to agree.