UF researchers have discovered ways to identify patients who may suffer from long-term physical pain, which can help physical therapists provide tailored treatment instead of prescribing opioid medication.
The team of five UF researchers published the study April 16 in a peer-reviewed journal called Physical Therapy, said UF physical therapy research assistant professor Jason Beneciuk. The study tested two tools made by the UF Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, which assessed patients to find who would be more prone to long-term pain.
The study said patients who showed an initial high intensity of pain, had previous medical diagnoses, physical symptoms and psychological issues were more likely to experience chronic musculoskeletal pain, or pain to the muscles, bones and joints, one year after receiving treatment, the study said.
About 2.4 million Americans are hooked on powerful prescription painkillers or heroin, according to the Associated Press.
About 120 people in the U.S. die from opioid overdose every day, and many hundreds more are brought back from the brink of death, AP reported.
Musculoskeletal pain is a leading cause of disability, affecting an estimated 126.6 million Americans — one in two adults — according to a 2016 report by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Common musculoskeletal disorders include arthritis, back pain, neck pain and osteoporosis, the report said.
“The link to opioid use is using tools like this to identify patients that are more vulnerable to developing musculoskeletal pain,” Beneciuk said.
The research team received a $300,000 grant by the Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association in 2012, Beneciuk said. He said the study began in 2013 and took 2 1/2 years to complete testing.
The study looked at 440 patients who were receiving physical therapy treatment for shoulder, back, neck and knee pain, Beneciuk said. Patients were initially assessed for a measure of pain intensity and a history of previous mental diagnoses and the two new assessment tools created by the team.
UF professor Samuel Wu, another researcher involved in the study, said one tool asked patients to report physical symptoms they felt in their body. The other tool screened for pain-related psychological issues, including depression, anxiety and pain acceptance.
“The purpose of the study was to develop these two tools,” Wu said.
Patients involved in the study completed the screening tools prior to treatment, then again four weeks, six months and one year after treatment, Wu said.
Of 279 patients who were assessed a year after treatment, 101 patients, or 36.2 percent, were found to have a higher pain intensity than the remaining participants, the study said. These are patients who could be prescribed tailored physical therapy rather than opioids.
FILE - This Aug. 15, 2017, file photo shows an arrangement of pills of the opioid oxycodone-acetaminophen in New York.
