Skip to main content
Device Global Header

Subscribe
or Renew

Advanced Search

This article is available to subscribers. Subscribe now. Already have an account? Sign in

Review ArticleMedical ProgressFree Preview

Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain

List of authors.
  • Jane C. Ballantyne, M.D.,
  • and Jianren Mao, M.D., Ph.D.

A difficult decision for physicians who treat patients with chronic pain not associated with terminal disease is whether and how to prescribe opioid therapy, which can relieve pain and improve mood and level of functioning in many such patients. This review considers current guidelines for opioid therapy in patients with chronic pain unrelated to malignant conditions and outlines caveats, areas of uncertainty, and management strategies.

Continue reading this article

Select an option below:

Create your account to get 2 free subscriber-only articles each month.

Get Free Access Now Subscribe For Full Access

Already have an account?

Sign In

Print subscriber?

Activate your online access.

Funding and Disclosures

Supported in part by a grant (RO1DA08835) from the Public Health Service.

Author Affiliations

From the Pain Center, Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School — both in Boston.

Address reprint requests to Dr. Ballantyne at the Massachusetts General Hospital Pain Center, 15 Parkman St., WACC 333, Boston, MA 02114, or at .

Print Subscriber? Activate your online access.