Osteoarthritis Pain Management: Understanding Opioid Use & Alternatives

Opioids are strong sedating drugs similar to narcotics but not made from opium; they are commonly prescribed to treat moderate to severe pain. Opioids have been prescribed to treat people who have osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis

• Osteoarthritis, the wear-and-tear form of arthritis, involves the wearing away of the lubricated cartilage that cushions the end bones in the joints.

Use

• Opioids are prescription narcotics and are used as powerful pain-relieving analgesics. It is believed to be the responsible choice to treat pain due to severe osteoarthritis when other treatments do not offer relief.

Types

• Opioids used to treat arthritis are codeine, hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin, Roxicodone), tramadol hydrochloride (Ultram), and tramadol and acetaminophen (Ultracet).

Treatment

• Oxycodone has been shown to be the most effective drug for relieving the pain of osteoarthritis. The opioid, tramadol with acetaminophen, has also shown benefits in relieving pain from osteoarthritis.

Warning

• According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, opioids are one of the three prescription medications that are commonly abused. A number of overdose deaths have resulted from improper administration of the drug.