American Society of Anesthesiologists – Pain Medicine
View all recommendations from this societyReleased January 21, 2014
Don’t prescribe opioid analgesics as first-line therapy to treat chronic non-cancer pain.
Physicians should consider multimodal therapy, including non-drug treatments such as behavioral and physical therapies prior to pharmacological intervention. If drug therapy appears indicated, non-opioid medication (e.g., NSAIDs, anticonvulsants, etc.) should be trialed prior to commencing opioids.
These items are provided solely for informational purposes and are not intended as a substitute for consultation with a medical professional. Patients with any specific questions about the items on this list or their individual situation should consult their physician.
How The List Was Created
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Committee on Pain Medicine was charged with developing the “Top 5 List” on pain medicine for the Choosing Wisely® campaign. Committee members submitted potential recommendations for the campaign, and from this list voted on which recommendations should be included in the final “Top 5 List.” The literature was then searched to provide supporting evidence. The Committee communicated electronically and met in person during the development and approval process. Once approved by the Committee, the “Top 5 List” was reviewed by ASA’s Chair of the Section on Subspecialties, Vice President for Scientific Affairs, Executive Committee and Administrative Council. ASA’s “Top 5 List” for pain medicine has been endorsed by the American Pain Society.
ASA’s disclosure and conflict of interest policy can be found at www.asahq.org.
Sources
Chou R, Fanciullo GJ, Fine PG, Adler JA, Ballantyne JC, Davies P, Donovan MI, Fishbain DA, Foley KM, Fudin J, Gilson AM, Kelter A, Mauskop A, O’Connor PG, Passik SD, Pasternak GW, Portenoy RK, Rich BA, Roberts RG, Todd KH, Miaskowski C. Clinical guidelines for the use of chronic opioid therapy in chronic noncancer pain [Internet].J Pain. 2009 Feb [cited 2014 Jan 10];10(2):113–30. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19187889
American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Chronic Pain Management, American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. Practice guidelines for chronic pain management: an updated report by the American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Chronic Pain Management and the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. Anesthesiology. 2010 Apr;112(4):810–33.
Argoff CE, Albrecht P, Irving G, Rice F. Multimodal analgesia for chronic pain: rationale and future directions. Pain Med. 2009;10(S2):S53–66.
