Study Explores Clinical Management of New Cases of Musculoskeletal Pain

An analysis of data from 360,000 health care visits over a 9-year period indicated that contrary to practice guidelines for managing musculoskeletal pain, many patients are initially prescribed opioids for a new chronic musculoskeletal problem. The analysis showed that opioid prescription was double that of physical therapy and that physicians who employ electronic medical records (EMRs) were more likely to prescribe opioids than physicians who use paper records. The study, conducted by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (part of the National Institutes of Health), the Université de Montréal, and McMaster University, was recently published in the Journal of Pain.