Heavy painkillers, such as oxycodone, do not work for back and neck pain. In fact, the opioids can even be harmful, because they are addictive and cause significant side effects.
This has emerged from research by the University of Sydney (Australia) and Erasmus MC in Rotterdam.
For the first time, they investigated the effect of heavy painkillers in about 350 patients who had recently started experiencing back and neck complaints. One group received an opiate, the other a placebo pill that looked exactly the same. After six weeks, both groups had the same amount of pain. And after a year, opioid users were even worse off: a third experienced at least one side effect, such as nausea or constipation.
In the Netherlands, about a million people use strong painkillers. Originally, the opioids were intended for people who were in a lot of pain from cancer or were in their last phase of life. Nowadays, many people with chronic pain or back and neck problems also use the drugs.
In recent years, doctors and the government have already tried to reduce the use of opiates. But in 2021, the number of users increased. In the United States, oxycodone in particular causes major problems because many people have become addicted to it.
Dirk went wrong when he was prescribed the extremely addictive painkiller oxycodone (video):
Hesitant
According to researcher Bart Koes, who is also an epidemiologist and professor of general medicine at Erasmus MC, the number of users in the Netherlands can be reduced. About two million Dutch people have back and neck problems, some of them take heavy painkillers for this. “Opioids really do nothing more than a placebo. So our main message is that doctors should be reluctant to prescribe such drugs for these pain complaints.”
Our main message is therefore that doctors should be reluctant to prescribe such drugs for these pain complaints
The majority of patients receive the heavy painkillers through their GP. But also medical specialists often prescribe the medicines. However, patients benefit more from good information, says Koes. ,, We advise people with back and neck problems to continue their daily activities, such as cycling, walking or swimming, as much as possible and possibly go to a physiotherapist. That gives a lot of relief.”
The researchers believe that guidelines for the use of opioids for musculoskeletal pain should be amended. They advise against the use of heavy painkillers. A GP can also prescribe paracetamol. That too may not be much more effective than a placebo, but the side effects are in any case more favorable than with opiates,” says Koes.
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