Treatment of Persistent Pain Associated With Osteoarthritis With Controlled-Release Oxycodone Tablets in a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Abstract

Treatment with controlled-release oxycodone of patients with osteoarthritis with persistent moderate to severe pain uncontrolled by standard therapy resulted in significant pain control and improvements in physical functioning.

Prescription Opioid Medications: Efficacy in Chronic Pain

“…Although the use of opioids to treat pain has skyrocketed, complaints of pain problems have actually correspondingly increased [6].…”

“…Additionally, economic, medical and personal adverse consequences have soared including but not limited to pain and suffering, death, disability, and criminal activity driven by opioid addiction and dependence [6]. Whereas there is evidence for prescribing opioids for short-term pain relief, there is not significant evidence for maintenance of pain relief or improved function over longer periods of time [1,7,8].…”

“…An intervention with an NNT of 2 means that two people must take the medication for 1 to have a 50% reduction in pain. If an intervention had an NNT of 8, 8 people would have to be treated for 1 person to have 50% pain relief [6].…”

“…Thus, NSAIDs produce 50% pain relief more often than opioids and many that are treated with opioids do not achieve the desired outcome. Importantly, patients are left without pain relief and suffering from the negative side effects of opioids [6].…”

“…Prescription opioid use is also taxing on the economy. It has been estimated that medical and nonmedical use of opioid pain medications unnecessarily costs insurance companies as much as $72.5 billion a year for adverse consequences related to opioid medications [6,37,38].…”