Is a Placebo Just as Effective as Morphine in Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain?

A recent study found some surprising data when looking at morphine use in rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia patients.

Millions of adults suffer from some form of chronic pain, and one European study estimates that about half of the adult population is affected by this. Anyone affected by chronic pain understands how difficult it can be to manage.

Once you find a drug that works, it stops working soon after because either your body has adapted to it or it has simply stopped responding. Pain management can be extremely frustrating, and the pain can get unbearable in the process.

The burden of chronic pain is a seriously difficult problem

Chronic pain can make your daily life miserable. When you don't feel good, how can you expect yourself to perform your best at work or enjoy time with your family? It's been shown that people living with chronic pain have a much worse quality of life than those that are pain-free.

Chronic pain can impact quality of life

But, why do we even need a study to prove this? Nobody would ever choose to live their lives in pain. Pain can taint the beauty and happiness that you can enjoy in life. It can make your hobbies unbearable, especially if you enjoy being active. Sometimes, pain can even disable you to the point where you can't get up to go to work. Just getting out of bed and getting around the house can prove challenging with severe pain. Living like this every day is exhausting and can make you miserable.

Chronic pain is extremely difficult to manage

What do people with chronic pain do for relief? They need to find new ways and lifestyle adaptations constantly to relieve their pain. There are tons of medications and other therapies out there. There's even a medical specialty dedicated solely to managing pain in people who suffer like this chronically. It's called pain management, as it's rightfully named in a way that's self-explanatory. These doctors spend their entire careers finding new ways to help people suffering from complicated cases of chronic pain by finding out different ways they can relieve it.

Rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia can both cause chronic pain

Rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia are two common diseases that can cause a lot of chronic pain and suffering in patients. Relieving pain in people who suffer from these diseases can be quite a challenge, especially when the medications stop working. Often, these people suffer from pain that is extremely debilitating, making them more desperate for any type of relief that the doctor can provide. Usually, mild medications aren't enough for cases like these, and many end up having to resort to strong, potent medications that can have some serious side effects.

Opioids are a dangerous problem for many people suffering from chronic pain. It's easy for the brain and body to get used to a certain potency of an opioid, so the patient feels they need more. This cycle continues, which can lead many to turn to illegal sources for opioids. The withdrawal symptoms associated with stopping opioids can be just as terrifying and miserable as the chronic pain itself, or even worse. 

With all of this considered, it is pleasantly surprising to hear about the effectiveness of placebos for rheumatoid arthritis. Read on to learn more about this new discovery.