Opioids no better than placebo for low back and neck pain: real-world trial
There was no significant difference in pain outcomes between those treated with opioids and placebo, found researchers.
Given the criticism of the researchers’ conclusions, AusDoc would like to direct our readers to Dr Sue Ieraci’s article outlining the study’s limitations.
Opioids should no longer be prescribed to patients with acute low back and neck pain, according to Australian researchers who found they were no more effective than placebo.
Results from their world-first trial also suggest that even a short six-week course of opioid analgesics can significantly increase the risk of long-term misuse, says the University of Sydney–led team.
Clinical care standards for low back pain currently recommend opioids as a last resort in “carefully selected patients” if all other pharmacological options have failed.
