There is a new potential wrinkle in the treatment of acute pain- as in not using opioids. A recently published study followed patients suffering from low back or neck pain (also known as the garden-variety back pain that lasts a shorter period of time, or at most three months). After 6 weeks, the researchers found no difference in the pain severity between those who received opioids and those who received a placebo sugar pill. In addition, the study found those who had received the opioids had an elevated risk of misusing the drugs one year later.
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