Munaeem's Blog

  Yes, there are risks associated with using opioids for back and neck pain. A study published in The Lancet found that the opioid group had worse mental health scores and more reports of nausea, dizziness, and constipation than the placebo group 1 .  Additionally, prescribing opioids for low back and neck pain can cause harms ranging from common side effects such as nausea, constipation, and addiction to overdose-related mortality 2 3 .  Furthermore, the study found that those who received opioids had an elevated risk of misusing the drugs a year later, reinforcing the potential harms of turning to opioids for pain relief, even temporarily 4 .  Therefore, it is generally advised to consider other options for pain relief, such as over-the-counter medications, heat or ice application, physical therapy, acupuncture, acupressure, massage, or spinal manipulation 5 .  If opioids are prescribed, it is important to ask about the risks and benefits and to follow the doc...

 Yes, it is true that placebo is better than opioids at treating acute back and neck pain. A landmark trial published in The Lancet found that opioid therapy offered no more relief for acute back/neck pain or functional improvement than placebo[1][2][3][4].  The study involved more than 340 patients suffering from low back or neck pain, and the results showed that there was no difference in pain severity after six weeks between those who received opioids versus a placebo sugar pill[2]. The mean pain score at 6 weeks was 2.78 in the opioid group, vs 2.25 in the placebo group[1].  Another study published in The Lancet found that supporting efficacy data for opioid analgesics in acute low back pain and neck pain are scarce[5]. Therefore, it is generally advised to start off with everyday remedies like over-the-counter anti-inflammatories, and alternatives like heat therapy, massage, or exercise[2]. Citations: [1] https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/993875 [2] https://www.np...