[ashelmire]

I think it's interesting that out of 120+ comments on opioids, nobody mentions the elephant in the room:

Some studies find NSAIDs are as effective in the treatment of pain [1]. You can find several other studies with a quick search, though most of the ones I've found were short-term.

An additional issue is that opioids are not a treatment for the causes of pain. Pain is generally a symptom, not the underlying pathology. Physical therapy and other reliefs (nonsurgical) can treat the causes of pain and eliminate the need for any pain treatments.

And as for an anecdote - my stepfather went from large doses of opioids after back surgery and severe pain (for an issue they wouldn't recommend surgery for anymore, but would instead recommend physical therapy) for years, to a reasonable level of prescribed marijuana consumption.

Just some things to think about, since most of voices in the room seem to be pro-opioid.

1. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/26739...