The Epidemiology of Pain and Opioid Abuse

The interconnected nature of the analgesic and pleasurable effects of opioid drugs has made their use and abuse a significant public health concern. Due to the possibility of opioid abuse resulting from medical treatment, there has been significant effort to determine the comorbidity of chronic pain conditions and opioid abuse. Previous efforts have been plagued by a lack of relevant data and poor methodological consistency across investigations. However, efforts to better define the behaviors involved in opioid misuse and abuse have led to more valid and reliable estimates. Rates of what are now defined as “aberrant opioid use behaviors” and “misuse” among pain patients range from 11.5 to 29.0 %. Rates of the more severe phenomenon of “abuse” and “addiction” range from 3.3 to 12.0 %. Clinicians are tasked with balancing adequate pain management using opioids with their risk of abuse. Continued research in the comorbidity of these two conditions will hopefully result in data that clinicians can use to circumvent the development of addiction.