SYDNEY, June 29 (Xinhua) -- A new study led by researchers from the University of Sydney has shown that opioid medication is no more effective in treating "acute" neck and back pain than a placebo, while it may even cause harm.
The trial analyzed 350 patients suffering acute back or neck pain over a 52-week period, receiving standard care and advice.
According to the study published in the Lancet journal on Wednesday, at six weeks, those who were treated with opioids did not have better pain relief than those who received a placebo, with higher "quality of life and pain outcomes at long-term follow-up" reported in the placebo group.
The trial also revealed that those who were prescribed opioids were at a "small but significantly higher risk" of misusing the medication.
Data from Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration indicated that every day in Australia, nearly 150 hospitalizations and 14 emergency department admissions involve issues relating to opioid use, and three people die from the harm that results from prescription opioid use. ■
