MINOCQUA - Research shows that commonly prescribed painkillers, called opioids, might not be safe or effective for long-term use.
As recently as ten years ago, doctors thought that the dose prescribed didn't matter. A patient's dose would be increased until they didn't report as much pain.
"So opioids have a long history with pain management," said Dr. Michael Larson, a Pain Management Psychologist at Marshfield Clinic in Minocqua. "In the past they were prescribed very heavily, and pain was seen as the fifth vital sign. And we had to address that, and people would really prescribe heavy doses. And that was actually the recommendation many years ago."
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