Minneapolis St. Paul Mental Health Blog

Opioids or Non?  For moderate to severe chronic back pain or osteoarthritis pain of the hip/knee, opioid initiation may not be necessary.

Patients with moderate to severe chronic back pain or hip and knee-related osteoarthritis pain do not require opioids in place of non-opioid treatments, according to a study published in JAMA.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a guideline with 12 recommendations for primary care clinicians who prescribe opioids for chronic pain outside of active cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care.

Specifically, the recommendations cover when to initiate or continue opioid treatment, which opioids should be used and for how long, and how to address potential harms associated with treatment.