The Ineffectiveness of Opioids for Back Pain: Landmark Trial and New Study Findings

A landmark trial has found that opioids are not effective in relieving acute low back or neck pain in the short term and may lead to worse outcomes in the long term. The study, involving 347 adults, showed no significant difference in pain scores between those who took opioids and those who took a placebo after 6 weeks. After 1 year, patients given the placebo had slightly lower pain scores, and those using opioids were at a greater risk of opioid misuse. The results suggest that opioids should not be recommended for acute low back or neck pain.