Opioid use disorder and chronic pain are linked through central sensitization, a new study found. Here, the nerves turn up pain signals. In people with this problem, pain lasts longer and responds poorly to treatment. They are also more likely to get opioids. That raises their risk of opioid use disorder.
Summary: Doctors are more likely to give opioids to people with chronic pain. So these people are also more likely to develop OUD. A new study shows they share an odd problem called central sensitization. People with it have more chronic pain. Pain treatment works poorly for them. That puts them at greater risk of OUD.
Everyone knows that people with chronic pain are more likely to get opioids. So they are also more likely to develop pain medication addiction. But the link between OUD and chronic pain is not as simple as cause and effect.
Doctors prescribe opioids to many people for chronic pain, yet only some develop OUD. So we need to understand the link between the two. In one of the first studies of its kind, researchers found one possible cause. People with OUD had more central sensitization.
Central sensitization is a problem that affects many chronic pain patients. Their spinal cord is extremely good at sending pain signals to the brain. The brain cannot keep up and becomes sensitized. So these people feel more pain and have a low pain threshold.
In this first-of-its-kind study, researchers used a special scale. It measured central sensitization in people with OUD. It is the first study to show that people with OUD, or opioid addiction, have central sensitization.
The study was published in the journal Pain Reports. Researchers enrolled 141 patients with OUD who were in treatment for opioid addiction. Patients answered questions about their pain, quality of life, beliefs about pain, and more. Their answers helped researchers measure central sensitization in these patients.
People with chronic pain are more likely to have OUD. People with chronic pain also find it hard to live without opioids. So they face a high risk of opiate dependence and OUD. Researchers also found that people with OUD had worse quality of life. They had more trouble controlling chronic pain and more central sensitization.
People with central sensitization were more likely to seek pain care and get opioids. Sadly, for many of them, this is where opioid addiction begins. Their pain is also more likely to last a long time and come back after treatment. That adds even more to the opioid dependence risk.
So researchers say central sensitization may make OUD treatment significantly harder. It also means doctors should measure central sensitization in people with opioid addiction. That is how they can treat OUD with success.
One reason this problem gets ignored is that very few doctors treat both pain and addiction. So most patients get treated for each condition on its own.
Still, some specialists in the US treat both pain and opioid addiction treatment. But health experts warn that people with both problems have very few treatment options today. So doctors need to try new ways to treat people with OUD, including treatments without drugs.
Addictionology Center in St. Louis treats chronic pain and offers medication for opioid use disorder. It has its telemedicine addiction treatment program along with suboxone treatment so you can get care in the comfort of your home.
Frequently asked questions
Why does chronic pain lead to opioid addiction?
People with chronic pain are more likely to get opioids. For many, that is where opioid addiction begins. The new study points to central sensitization. In these patients, pain lasts longer, responds poorly to treatment and comes back. So they struggle to live without opioids. That raises their risk of opioid use disorder.
What is central sensitization?
Central sensitization is a problem that affects many chronic pain patients. Their spinal cord is extremely good at sending pain signals to the brain. The brain cannot keep up and becomes sensitized. The result is a low pain threshold and pain that tends to last.
What did the study on opioid use disorder and chronic pain find?
The study was published in the journal Pain Reports. It enrolled 141 patients in treatment for opioid use disorder. It was the first to show that people with opioid use disorder have central sensitization. They also had worse quality of life and more trouble controlling chronic pain. That can make their addiction treatment harder.
Why should pain and addiction be treated together?
Very few doctors treat both pain and addiction, so most patients get treated for each one on its own. Researchers say doctors should measure central sensitization in people with opioid addiction. That helps treatment work. Addictionology Center in St. Louis treats chronic pain and provides medication for opioid use disorder under one roof.
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