Opioids are extremely effective in managing acute and short term pain. For example the pain following breaking a bone or surgery to have the appendix removed. They are not effective at treating chronic pain.
While opioids have a long history of use for pain relief, there are no high-quality studies that prove they work well for chronic pain. Given the many dangers of opioids, most experts agree the risks for people with chronic pain are much greater than the benefits.
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