Opioids are no better than placebos for acute back and neck pain
Lauren Finestone
A study busts the myth that pain medications are necessary to ‘get on top of the pain’.Despite a push to reduce the use of opioids because of the risks of addiction and other side effects, studies show they are often the drug of choice for patients suffering from back or neck pain. Now an important new study — the OPAL trial — should give us all pause for thought. This world-first study led by the University of Sydney shows that opioid pain-relieving medications are no more effective than a placebo in relieving acute b...