| Chronic non-malignant pain (CNP) represents a significant challenge for 80 million Americans who suffer with these intractable pains that are resistant to medical interventions. Many people with CNP must rely on the use of opioids, such as MS ContinRTM, Duragesic PatchRTM, Oramorph SRRTM, and OxyContinRTM for long-term pain relief. Opioid therapy for the treatment of CNP, however, has been hotly debated. Concerns about opioid therapy have stemmed from claims about addiction liability, tolerance to opioid analgesia, cognitive impairment, and alterations in physical functioning. Central to the debate over opioid therapy is the issue of the impact of opioids on the patient's quality of life, including functional capabilities.; A telephone survey of 89 individuals with chronic non-malignant pain attending the University of Wisconsin's Pain or Rehabilitation Clinics revealed 56 (63%) consistently used opioids for pain relief and 33 (37%) did not use opioids. Differences were reported in the physical component summary (PCS) of the SF-36v2 revealing that individuals on opioid therapy had significantly more bodily pain (p = .002), more physical dysfunction ( p = .006), and physical role limitations (e.g., difficulty performing work, limited in the kind of work) (p = .005). However, similar percentage of opioid users (20%, n = 11) and non-opioid users (18%, n = 6) either worked full-time or went to school full-time. No differences were discovered in the mental component summary (MCS) of the SF-36v2 between the two groups. Utilizing the Graded Chronic Pain Scale (GCPS), opioid-users reported more severe, life interfering (Grade 4) chronic pain (p = .008) compared to non-opioid users. The Quality of Life Scale (QOLS) found opioid-users were significantly less satisfied ( p = .009) in various life areas (e.g., health, work, socializing, and active recreation) than individuals not using opioids. Aside from "taking pain medication", there were no significant differences in the behavioral and cognitive coping strategies both groups used for pain relief. |
