Opioids have been the standard for managing both chronic and short-term pain for a long time. While they have their place in medicine, they definitely have their drawbacks.
The CDC estimates that 75,673 Americans died from opioid overdoses between April 2020 to April 2021. Aside from the risk of overdose, opioids are highly addictive and can cause heart problems and weaken bones, according to the CDC.
As a result of such concerns, the CDC recently released new guidelines for opioid prescriptions. They also suggested alternative treatment options.
