Research recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine has revealed that the effects of treatment with opioids were no found to be no better than those associated with non-opioid medications for improving impaired functional capacity related chronic back pain or hip/knee osteoarthritis pain. For more information see https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2673971?redirect=true  This research, published as it is in a very highly respected source, should provided a great deal of food for thought when selecting or recommending treatment options for the management of chronic pain.