ISLAMABAD: A new study published this week has brought to light that the commonly prescribed medicines for back pain may not provide any benefits to individuals as they “have no efficacy in reducing pain.”
Opioids, which are frequently prescribed by healthcare professionals for lower back and neck pain, have been found to lack effectiveness in reducing pain, according to an analysis of Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 data, with lower back pain being a leading contributor to years lived with disability.
The study, published in the journal The Lancet, found that opioids were not more helpful than a placebo. People using opioids reported experiencing side effects such as nausea, dizziness, and constipation at a higher rate than those in the placebo group. Despite guidelines suggesting otherwise and the absence of evidence regarding their pain-reducing efficacy, opioid pain relievers continue to be widely prescribed for individuals with lower back and neck pain in many countries, as highlighted by Christine Lin, a professor at the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health at the University of Sydney and lead author of the research.
Effectiveness of Medicines in Pain Management
Experts have put forth theories regarding the lack of effectiveness of opioids in pain management. One possibility, according to experts, is that individuals in the opioid group may have had underlying factors that were not accounted for by the authors – factors known to respond poorly to opioid treatment.
Dr. Mark D Sullivan and Dr. Jane C Ballantyne, who were not involved in the study, mentioned in a commentary that the pain treated in the study might have been more chronic and recurring in nature, rather than the type caused by acute injury. They also noted that participants were only required to have one month without pain before their current episode of spinal pain, suggesting that recurrent pain could account for the non-response to opioid therapy.
Dr. John Finkenberg, a specialist in orthopaedic spine surgery based in San Diego, emphasized the need to treat different areas of pain in the neck and back separately. He cautioned that individuals experiencing both types of pain may have underlying systemic issues, such as arthritis or rheumatoid conditions, and therefore, care must be taken when treating such patients.
In light of the study’s findings, the lead author recommended that doctors refrain from prescribing opioids. Instead, doctors should focus on patient-centered approaches that include advice to stay active and the use of simple pain relievers.
