OPIOID USE

This study tested whether a personalized plan created by a pharmacist during a patient interview could help control how long people take strong opioid painkillers for non-cancer pain. It involved 100 adults hospitalized for musculoskeletal pain who were starting this type of medi…

This study tested whether a mobile health clinic could better connect people who inject drugs with opioid addiction to essential care. It compared delivering addiction medication and HIV treatment/prevention directly in a mobile unit to providing referrals to community clinics. T…

This study tested a brief, one-time computer program designed to help adults with chronic pain who drink hazardously and take prescription opioids. The program provided personalized feedback to increase knowledge about the dangers of mixing alcohol and opioids and to motivate saf…

This study tested whether medical cannabis could help people with chronic pain reduce or stop their use of opioid painkillers. Researchers followed 29 patients who were on long-term opioids and qualified for medical cannabis in Pennsylvania. Over six months, they tracked particip…

This study tested a computer-based decision support tool designed to help doctors and patients work together on chronic pain treatment plans. It involved 39 patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain and a history of opioid use from primary care clinics. The main goal was to see …

This early-stage study tested whether a special virtual reality (VR) program could help people in early recovery from opioid use disorder. The VR experience was designed to help participants think more positively about their future, with the goal of reducing opioid use and increa…

This small pilot study from the Mayo Clinic aimed to see if people with chronic non-cancer pain could have their opioid medication dose very slowly reduced without making their pain, mood, or daily life worse. It compared a slow tapering plan to continuing the usual opioid dose. …

This study tested a voluntary program to help people with chronic pain safely reduce their long-term opioid medication use. Fifty-one patients worked with their doctor on a personalized, slow reduction plan over four months. Researchers wanted to see if patients could lower their…

This study tested whether providing discounted medical cannabis capsules to adults with chronic pain could help them reduce their use of opioid painkillers. Researchers enrolled 270 people who were already certified for medical cannabis and using opioids. Participants received di…

This study tested whether counseling sessions led by trained peers (people with their own recovery experience) could help low-income minority patients in Baltimore stay on their prescribed medication for opioid addiction. The program focused on building positive daily routines an…

This study aimed to understand how women who inject drugs view and use a long-acting injectable medication (CAB-LA) to prevent HIV, compared to daily oral pills. Researchers followed 144 women over six months to see which method they chose, how well they stuck with it, and what f…

This study tested whether reducing loneliness could help prevent opioid misuse in people with chronic pain. Researchers worked with 102 primary care patients who were taking long-term opioids and feeling lonely. They tested two approaches: psychological therapy and social support…

This study tested if giving patients education and a prepaid mail-back envelope before shoulder replacement surgery would lead to fewer leftover opioid pain pills. 140 patients were randomly assigned to either receive the standard care or the extra education and disposal kit. Res…

This study tested a program to prevent opioid and other substance use in teens (ages 15-18) transitioning out of juvenile justice facilities. The program trained a supportive adult in each teen's life to use relationship-building and behavior management techniques. Researchers fo…

This study tested a culturally centered program designed to prevent opioid, alcohol, and marijuana misuse among American Indian and Alaska Native young adults (ages 18-25) in California. Researchers compared a new program called TACUNA, which blends motivational group sessions an…

This small pilot study tested whether actively involving young people in community prevention programs helps reduce risks for substance and opioid misuse. Four prevention organizations were randomly assigned to either include youth in their planning and activities or continue the…

This study tested whether telehealth support programs started during an emergency room visit could help prevent opioid misuse and addiction in young adults aged 16-30 who were already using opioids. Researchers worked with over 1,100 participants to find the most effective and af…

This study tested a new program in community pharmacies to help patients avoid drinking alcohol while taking opioid pain medications, which is a known health hazard. The program involved screening, brief counseling, and medication management. Researchers worked with 112 adult pat…

This study tested a new support program for adults who recently experienced sexual assault. Researchers developed a brief video to watch during a medical exam and follow-up text messages for the next month. The goal was to see if this approach could help prevent the development o…

This study tested whether adding acupuncture to a standard recovery plan helps people after hip replacement surgery. Researchers placed tiny needles in patients' ears during surgery to see if it would reduce pain, shorten hospital stays, and lower the need for opioid pain medicat…

This study tested a nerve-block injection to help control pain in children after tonsil and adenoid removal surgery. Researchers compared the standard nerve block to one mixed with a drug called dexmedetomidine, hoping it would provide longer-lasting pain relief. The goal was to …

This study aimed to find the best combination of support tools to help people stick with a yoga program. It involved 192 adults who were in treatment for opioid use and also had long-term chronic pain. Everyone took weekly yoga classes for 12 weeks, and researchers tested four di…

This study tested a new smartphone app designed to help people with advanced cancer manage chronic pain. The app helped patients track their pain, mood, and opioid medication use while providing education and self-management advice. Researchers wanted to see if using the app for …

This study tested whether giving patients a pill containing dronabinol (a synthetic form of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana) around the time of their knee replacement surgery could help manage their pain. Researchers wanted to see if this approach could reduce the amount …

This study tested whether giving a single dose of the medication pregabalin right before kidney stone surgery could help manage pain afterwards. Researchers wanted to see if this approach reduced patients' need for strong opioid painkillers following the procedure. The trial invo…

This study tested whether adding medical cannabis to a behavioral support program could help adults with long-term, non-cancer pain reduce their use of prescription opioid painkillers. 87 participants who were already taking high doses of opioids for chronic pain were randomly as…

This study tested whether a mindfulness training program was a practical and acceptable way to help veterans. The goal was to reduce the impact of chronic pain and lower the risk of suicide. 76 veterans with both chronic pain and suicidal thoughts were randomly assigned to either…

This study compared two methods for managing pain after major abdominal surgery. Researchers tested whether a newer nerve block technique could provide pain relief similar to a standard spinal morphine injection, but with fewer side effects like nausea or breathing problems. The …

This study tested two different anesthesia approaches for people having major surgery. One approach used a combination of several non-opioid medications along with opioids, while the other used mainly opioids. Researchers wanted to see which method led to better patient recovery,…

This study tested whether adding two specific nerve blocks to standard pain management could help patients after total knee replacement. Researchers compared 244 patients who received the extra nerve blocks to those who did not. The main goals were to see if this approach reduced…

This study tested whether adding a low-dose ketamine infusion to standard pain medication could help patients after knee replacement surgery. 100 adults were randomly assigned to receive either the standard pain plan or the standard plan plus ketamine. Researchers measured pain l…

This study tested if using a longer-acting opioid (methadone) during anesthesia for outpatient surgery leads to better pain relief and reduces the number of opioid pills patients need to take at home after their procedure. It involved 907 adults having surgery with an expected ho…

This study tested a new type of nerve block injection to see if it could reduce pain and the need for strong opioid painkillers after weight loss surgery. Researchers compared the new injection, given during surgery, to standard pain control methods alone. The main goal was to se…

This study tested if a targeted ultrasound-guided nerve block could help emergency room patients with broken ribs. It compared the block to standard pain care to see if it improved patients' ability to breathe deeply and cough while reducing their need for opioid painkillers. The…

This study tested whether listening to music could help manage pain after heart surgery. Researchers wanted to see if music therapy could reduce patients' need for opioid pain medications and improve their overall satisfaction. The trial involved 54 adults who had heart surgery t…

This study tested whether a medication called acetazolamide could improve breathing problems during sleep for people with chronic pain who use opioid medications. The goal was to find an alternative for those who cannot use the standard CPAP machine treatment. In this completed P…

This study explored a new approach to help people with long-term muscle and bone pain who take opioid painkillers. Researchers tested if training physical therapists to use mindfulness techniques during therapy could help patients manage pain better and potentially use fewer opio…

This was a small pilot study to see if it's practical to run a larger trial on medical cannabis for chronic pain. It tested whether oral cannabis oils (CBD alone or CBD with THC) could help reduce how much pain interferes with daily life and lower opioid use. The main goal was to…

This study tested whether giving the common local anesthetic lidocaine through an IV during and after liver surgery helps patients recover better. Researchers compared lidocaine to a saltwater placebo in 124 patients to see if it reduced pain and the need for strong opioid painki…

This study aimed to understand how marijuana and the opioid oxycodone affect a person's desire to take the other drug. Eight healthy adults with experience using both substances lived in a hospital research unit for about six weeks. Researchers measured how much of each drug part…

This study aimed to understand how drinking alcohol while taking opioids affects people. Researchers gave small groups of adults different combinations of alcohol, opioids, or placebos to measure their feelings, breathing, and pain tolerance. The goal was to gather safety data on…

This small, early-stage study aimed to understand how two commonly used pain medications—oxycodone and gabapentin—affect people when taken alone and together. Researchers tested 11 adults who reported non-medical use of these drugs to measure their feelings (like drug liking) and…

This study aimed to understand how common opioid painkillers affect patients' mood and anxiety right before surgery. Researchers in Norway compared morphine, oxycodone, and fentanyl given before anesthesia. They also tracked how much pain medication patients used after surgery an…