Northwestern University study finds long-term opioids do not improve chronic back pain

A study from Northwestern University published in the journal Brain indicates that long-term opioid use does not improve pain or functioning for individuals with chronic back pain. Researchers compared 70 long-term opioid users to 70 similar patients not using the drugs, finding that after an average of nearly eight years of use, the opioid group reported pain levels nearly identical to the non-user group.

While the medication did not reduce pain, researchers noted that the psychological and brain properties of the participants remained essentially intact, countering fears that long-term use causes immediate, drastic brain changes. The study identified significant differences in brain activity and discovered new molecular markers involving serotonin receptors.

Based on these findings, scientists plan to investigate whether certain antidepressants targeting the same serotonin pathways can effectively treat chronic pain and assist in tapering patients off opioids.