See More Projects on Chronic Pain
Topic Spotlight
Pain Care and Opioids
PCORI Answers Critical Questions
Evidence gaps can make it difficult to know which pain treatments work best while reducing the risk associated with long-term opioid use, given a patient's needs. PCORI funds studies that seek to help patients, clinicians and others answer questions they might have about treatment options, such as:
Patient: After hearing so many stories of people who struggled with opioid addiction, I’m afraid to use these drugs for my low back pain. Would mindfulness meditation work as well as pain drugs for me?
Patient: I don’t feel comfortable speaking up when I don’t understand what my doctor is telling me about managing my chronic pain. What would help me get more involved in making choices about my pain care?
Clinician: I see many patients with chronic pain who have trouble going about their day-to-day business. Other than prescribing them opioids, what are other strategies I could present that have proven effective in reducing chronic pain?
Pain Care and Opioids Study Spotlights
Tackling Chronic Pain While Reducing Opioid Use
This study found that a clinical plan to encourage safe opioid prescribing for pain succeeded in lowering patients’ doses.
People Involved in Chronic Pain Research
Hear about several comparative clinical effectiveness research studies that aim to help patients and those who care for them make better-informed decisions about their options for managing chronic pain.
Non-Opioid Therapies for Chronic Low Back Pain
This study compares how well cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness meditation work in mitigating pain and enabling people to reduce or discontinue opioid use.
Pain Care and Opioids Portfolio Snapshots
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