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Member, Beacon International Group, Ltd.
The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine has updated its guidelines to show that opioids are less effective than previously believed, and not superior to other medications and treatments for pain management.
The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine's guidelines provide state workers compensation systems and health care providers with evidence-based guidance on medical treatment. Its updated guidelines on opioid use appear in the December issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
The routine use of opioids for treatment of acute pain, or pain that lasts up to one month, is “strongly not recommended,” according to the guidelines.
The guidelines state that other medications and treatments, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are equivalent – if not superior – to opioid use when it comes to managing subacute pain, which lasts from one to three months, or chronic pain, which lasts longer than three months.
While there are more than 100 studies that document the adverse effects of opioids, there are no trials that documents improved functional outcomes as a result of opioid use, according to the guidelines.
However, if conservative treatments haven't led to an improvement in function, then opioids might be recommended to manage subacute or chronic pain, the guidelines state.