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Pain is one of the most common reasons for visits to primary care providers every year. Yet, despite the prevalence, managing chronic pain remains a significant challenge. Current recommendations for addressing chronic pain focus on a multi-modal approach including non-drug and drug treatments. This module discusses the evidence-based management options, both drug and non-drug, for four common pain conditions: osteoarthritis, chronic low back pain, diabetic neuropathy, and fibromyalgia. Further it includes recommendations for managing patients who may require or already be taking opioids including monitoring opioid safety, prescribing naloxone, and identifying patients with problematic opioid use.
Managing pain requires establishing clear functional goals that center on activities which are important to each patient. In order to achieve these goals, a focus on non-opioid treatment options is recommended. For those patients who do require opioids, utilizing non-opioid options can reduce total opioid doses and help improve function.
Selecting evidence-based treatment options can be challenging, with some pain conditions having more options available to manage pain than others. Below is a summary of common options used to manage pain and a corresponding benefit to risk profile for each option. More details regarding the evidence behind these recommendations, please see the comprehensive evidence document.
For those patients who do require opioids, utilizing non-opioid options can reduce total opioid doses and help improve function.
While opioids are not generally recommended for these four pain conditions, many patients already use opioids to manage pain. For these patients and others who may require a trial of an opioid medication, ensuring safety is critical. These steps are recommended for all patients taking opioids:1
When planning the taper:2,3
The content of this website is educational in nature and includes general recommendations only; specific clinical decisions should only be made by a treating clinician based on the individual patient’s clinical condition.