Opioid Epidemic in the United States

Survey of chronic pain in Europe: Prevalence, impact on daily life, and treatment

2005 • 5,105 citations

Estimates of the prevalence of arthritis and selected musculoskeletal disorders in the United States

1998 • 2,707 citations

A systematic review of the global prevalence of low back pain

2012 • 2,627 citations

Postoperative Pain Experience: Results from a National Survey Suggest Postoperative Pain Continues to Be Undermanaged

2003 • 2,094 citations

The Epidemiology of low back pain

2010 • 1,814 citations

RELIEVING PAIN IN AMERICA: A BLUEPRINT FOR TRANSFORMING PREVENTION, CARE, EDUCATION, AND RESEARCH

2012 • 1,775 citations

Persistent Pain and Well-being

1998 • 1,465 citations

The Rising Prevalence of Chronic Low Back Pain

2009 • 1,431 citations

Association Between Opioid Prescribing Patterns and Opioid Overdose-Related Deaths

2011 • 1,410 citations

The epidemiology of chronic pain in the community

1999 • 1,236 citations

Extent of illicit drug use and dependence, and their contribution to the global burden of disease

2012 • 1,222 citations

Opioid Prescriptions for Chronic Pain and Overdose

2010 • 1,207 citations

Opioids in chronic non-cancer pain: systematic review of efficacy and safety

2004 • 1,203 citations

The Saskatchewan Health and Back Pain Survey

1998 • 1,167 citations

Opioid-induced Hyperalgesia

2006 • 1,137 citations

Vital Signs: Overdoses of Prescription Opioid Pain Relievers - United States, 1999-2008

2011 • 1,081 citations

A Comprehensive Review of Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia

2011 • 1,006 citations

The Epidemiology of Chronic Pain of Predominantly Neuropathic Origin. Results From a General Population Survey

2006 • 971 citations

Chronic use of opioid analgesics in non-malignant pain: Report of 38 cases

1986 • 879 citations

Opioids for chronic noncancer pain: a meta-analysis of effectiveness and side effects

2006 • 875 citations

Patterns of Abuse Among Unintentional Pharmaceutical Overdose Fatalities

2008 • 814 citations

The Burden and Determinants of Neck Pain in the General Population

2008 • 810 citations

A Flood of Opioids, a Rising Tide of Deaths

2010 • 809 citations

Trends in Opioid Prescribing by Race/Ethnicity for Patients Seeking Care in US Emergency Departments

2008 • 794 citations

Characteristics of Opioid Prescriptions in 2009

2011 • 775 citations

Prevalence of chronic benign pain disorder among adults: a review of the literature

1998 • 763 citations

Systematic Review: Opioid Treatment for Chronic Back Pain: Prevalence, Efficacy, and Association with Addiction

2007 • 758 citations

The epidemiology of neck pain

2010 • 746 citations

Comprehensive Review of Epidemiology, Scope, and Impact of Spinal Pain

2009 • 691 citations

Long-term opioid management for chronic noncancer pain

2010 • 680 citations

Deaths: final data for 2007.

2010 • 664 citations

Medications for Acute and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Review of the Evidence for an American Pain Society/American College of Physicians Clinical Practice Guideline

2007 • 573 citations

Therapeutic Use, Abuse, and Nonmedical Use of Opioids: A Ten-Year Perspective

2010 • 541 citations

JCAHO Pain Management Standards Are Unveiled

2000 • 536 citations

Critical issues on opioids in chronic non-cancer pain:

2006 • 497 citations

Prescribing of opioid analgesics and related mortality before and after the introduction of long-acting oxycodone

2009 • 442 citations

Chronic Pain in Canada ‐ Prevalence, Treatment, Impact and the Role of Opioid Analgesia

2002 • 441 citations

Epidemiology of chronic non-cancer pain in Europe: narrative review of prevalence, pain treatments and pain impact

2011 • 441 citations

Opioids in the Management of Chronic Non-Cancer Pain: An Update of American Society of the Interventional Pain Physicians’ (ASIPP) Guidelines

2008 • 440 citations

Opioid dependence and addiction during opioid treatment of chronic pain

2007 • 437 citations

The Comparative Safety of Analgesics in Older Adults With Arthritis

2010 • 403 citations

Drug poisoning deaths in the United States, 1980-2008.

2011 • 398 citations

Chronic Opioid Use is a Risk Factor for the Development of Central Sleep Apnea and Ataxic Breathing

2007 • 393 citations

Epidemiology of chronic non-malignant pain in Denmark

2003 • 377 citations

Office visits and analgesic prescriptions for musculoskeletal pain in US: 1980 vs. 2000

2004 • 372 citations

Predicting Opioid Misuse by Chronic Pain Patients

2008 • 371 citations

Trends in Health Care Expenditures, Utilization, and Health Status Among US Adults With Spine Problems, 1997–2006

2009 • 367 citations

Drug Abuse, Dependence, and Addiction in Chronic Pain Patients

1992 • 361 citations

Trends in use of opioids for non-cancer pain conditions 2000–2005 in Commercial and Medicaid insurance plans: The TROUP study

2008 • 358 citations

The Factors Associated With Neck Pain and Its Related Disability in the Saskatchewan Population

2000 • 356 citations

Measuring pain as the 5th vital sign does not improve quality of pain management

2006 • 353 citations

CDC grand rounds: prescription drug overdoses - a U.S. epidemic.

2012 • 348 citations

Relationship Between Early Opioid Prescribing for Acute Occupational Low Back Pain and Disability Duration, Medical Costs, Subsequent Surgery and Late Opioid Use

2007 • 305 citations

Access to pain treatment as a human right

2010 • 294 citations

An Analysis of the Root Causes for Opioid-Related Overdose Deaths in the United States

2011 • 286 citations

Risks for possible and probable opioid misuse among recipients of chronic opioid therapy in commercial and medicaid insurance plans: The TROUP Study

2010 • 285 citations

Substance Use Disorders in a Primary Care Sample Receiving Daily Opioid Therapy

2007 • 285 citations

Relationship of Opioid Use and Dosage Levels to Fractures in Older Chronic Pain Patients

2010 • 270 citations

Long-Term Opioid Therapy Reconsidered

2011 • 255 citations

Trends in Use of Opioids for Chronic Noncancer Pain Among Individuals With Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders: The TROUP Study

2009 • 252 citations

Chronic Pain Prevalence and Analgesic Prescribing in a General Medical Population

2002 • 246 citations

Guidelines Warfare Over Interventional Techniques: Is There a Lack of Discourse or Straw Man?

2012 • 236 citations

Emergency Department Visits Among Recipients of Chronic Opioid Therapy

2010 • 233 citations

A History of Being Prescribed Controlled Substances and Risk of Drug Overdose Death

2011 • 219 citations

Alleviating Suffering 101 — Pain Relief in the United States

2012 • 217 citations

Treatment outcome of chronic non-malignant pain patients managed in a Danish multidisciplinary pain centre compared to general practice: a randomised controlled trial

2000 • 213 citations

Curtailing Diversion and Abuse of Opioid Analgesics Without Jeopardizing Pain Treatment

2011 • 211 citations

Is musculoskeletal pain more common now than 40 years ago?: two population-based cross-sectional studies

2005 • 209 citations

Early Opioid Prescription and Subsequent Disability Among Workers With Back Injuries

2008 • 209 citations

Pain in the lumbar, thoracic or cervical regions: do age and gender matter? A population-based study of 34,902 Danish twins 20–71 years of age

2009 • 207 citations

Epidemiology of chronic pain in Denmark: An update

2008 • 206 citations

Long-Term Chronic Opioid Therapy Discontinuation Rates from the TROUP Study

2011 • 202 citations

A Critical Review of the American Pain Society Clinical Practice Guidelines for Interventional Techniques: Part 1. Diagnostic Interventions

2010 • 200 citations

Higher Opioid Doses Predict Poorer Functional Outcome in Patients with Chronic Disabling Occupational Musculoskeletal Disorders

2009 • 199 citations

Persistent Pain and Well Being: a World Health Organization Study in Primary Care

1999 • 193 citations

Urine Toxicology Screening Among Chronic Pain Patients on Opioid Therapy: Frequency and Predictability of Abnormal Findings

2007 • 192 citations

Long-Acting Opioids for Chronic Pain: Pharmacotherapeutic Opportunities to Enhance Compliance, Quality of Life, and Analgesia

2001 • 188 citations

Evaluation of Lumbar Facet Joint Nerve Blocks in Managing Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial with a 2-Year Follow-Up

2010 • 188 citations

A Critical Review of the American Pain Society Clinical Practice Guidelines For Interventional Techniques: Part 2. Therapeutic Interventions

2010 • 188 citations

Facing up to the prescription opioid crisis

2011 • 187 citations

Urine Drug Testing In Chronic Pain

2011 • 184 citations

The prevalence, correlates and treatment of pain in the European Union

2011 • 183 citations

Comprehensive Consensus Based Guidelines on Intrathecal Drug Delivery Systems in the Treatment of Pain Caused by Cancer Pain

2011 • 176 citations

Direct Costs of Opioid Abuse in an Insured Population in the United States

2005 • 175 citations

Direct Costs of Opioid Abuse in an Insured Population in the United States

2020 • 172 citations

Opioids for Back Pain Patients: Primary Care Prescribing Patterns and Use of Services

2011 • 171 citations

Prescription opioid abuse, pain and addiction: Clinical issues and implications

2011 • 171 citations

Opioid analgesia: perspectives on right use and utility.

2007 • 163 citations

A Systematic Review of Randomized Trials of Long-Term Opioid Management for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain

2011 • 162 citations

A population-based survey of chronic pain and its treatment with prescription drugs

2011 • 162 citations

Comparative Outcomes of a 2-Year Follow-Up of Cervical Medial Branch Blocks in Management of Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized, Double-Blind Controlled Trial

2010 • 159 citations

Opioid dosing trends and mortality in Washington State workers' compensation, 1996-2002

2005 • 157 citations

Effectiveness of Long-Term Opioid Therapy for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain

2011 • 156 citations

Patterns and Trends in Opioid Use among Individuals with Back Pain in the United States

2004 • 152 citations

Usefulness of prescription monitoring programs for surveillance—analysis of Schedule II opioid prescription data in Massachusetts, 1996–2006

2009 • 152 citations

Opioids, Ventilation and Acute Pain Management

2011 • 152 citations

Trends and Geographic Variation of Opiate Medication Use in State Medicaid Fee-For-Service Programs, 1996 to 2002

2006 • 152 citations

Analgesic Usage for Low Back Pain: Impact on Health Care Costs and Service Use

2005 • 152 citations

Opioid Use for Chronic Low Back Pain

2009 • 151 citations

A National Epidemic of Unintentional Prescription Opioid Overdose Deaths: How Physicians Can Help Control It

2011 • 149 citations

Does random urine drug testing reduce illicit drug use in chronic pain patients receiving opioids?

2006 • 149 citations

Pain, frailty and comorbidity on older men: The CHAMP study

2008 • 142 citations

Clinical Characteristics of Chronic Back Pain as a Function of Gender and Oral Opioid Use

2003 • 140 citations

Opioid Deaths in Rural Virginia: A Description of the High Prevalence of Accidental Fatalities Involving Prescribed Medications

2009 • 137 citations

Underutilisation of Opioids in Elderly Patients with Chronic Pain

2005 • 128 citations

Epidemiology of Regular Prescribed Opioid Use: Results from a National, Population-Based Survey

2008 • 128 citations

Pharmacology of Opioids in the Treatment of Chronic Pain Syndromes

2011 • 125 citations

Methadone Deaths: Risk Factors in Pain and Addicted Populations

2010 • 122 citations

A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Trial of Fluoroscopic Caudal Epidural Injections in the Treatment of Lumbar Disc Herniation and Radiculitis

2011 • 121 citations

Cancer Pain Management and the JCAHO's Pain Standards

2003 • 120 citations

The Impact of the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations Pain Initiative on Perioperative Opiate Consumption and Recovery Room Length of Stay

2004 • 119 citations

A comparison of drug overdose deaths involving methadone and other opioid analgesics in West Virginia

2009 • 116 citations

The Prevalence and Incidence of Work Absenteeism Involving Neck Pain

2008 • 115 citations

Patterns of Illicit Drug Use and Opioid Abuse in Patients with Chronic Pain at Initial Evaluation: A Prospective, Observational Study

2004 • 115 citations

Opioid therapy for nonspecific low back pain and the outcome of chronic work loss

2009 • 113 citations

Co-morbidity and utilization of medical services by pain patients receiving opioid medications: Data from an insurance claims database

2009 • 110 citations

Lumbar Interlaminar Epidural Injections in Central Spinal Stenosis: Preliminary Results of a Randomized, Double-Blind, Active Control Trial

2012 • 108 citations

A Population-based Cohort Study on Chronic Pain: The Role of Opioids

2010 • 104 citations

Fluoroscopic Cervical Interlaminar Epidural Injections in Managing Chronic Pain of Cervical Postsurgery Syndrome: Preliminary Results of a Randomized, Double-Blind, Active Control Trial

2012 • 97 citations

An Analysis of Heavy Utilizers of Opioids for Chronic Noncancer Pain in the TROUP Study

2010 • 96 citations

Clinical Management and the Duration of Disability for Work-Related Low Back Pain

2000 • 96 citations

Management of Pain of Post Lumbar Surgery Syndrome: One-Year Results of a Randomized, Double-Blind, Active Controlled Trial of Fluoroscopic Caudal Epidural Injections

2010 • 95 citations

Epidemiology of chronic pain and its treatment in The Netherlands.

2011 • 92 citations

A Preliminary Report of a Randomized DoubleBlind, Active Controlled Trial of Fluoroscopic Thoracic Interlaminar Epidural Injections in Managing Chronic Thoracic Pain

2010 • 90 citations

Association of pain with behavioral and psychiatric symptoms among nursing home residents with cognitive impairment: Results from the SHELTER study

2011 • 89 citations

Comparative Effectiveness of a One-Year Follow-Up of Thoracic Medial Branch Blocks in Management of Chronic Thoracic Pain: A Randomized, Double-Blind Active Controlled Trial

2010 • 89 citations

Mental Illness and Psychotropic Drug Use Among Prescription Drug Overdose Deaths

2010 • 89 citations

Fluoroscopic Epidural Injections in Cervical Spinal Stenosis: Preliminary Results of a Randomized, Double-Blind, Active Control Trial

2012 • 89 citations

Factors Associated With Early Opioid Prescription Among Workers With Low Back Injuries

2006 • 89 citations

Development of and recovery from long-term pain. A 6-year follow-up study of a cross-section of the adult Danish population

2004 • 83 citations

An evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry versus immunoassay drug testing in pain patients.

2010 • 81 citations

Geographic variation in opioid prescribing for acute, work‐related, low back pain and associated factors: A multilevel analysis

2008 • 80 citations

Impact of long-term use of opioids on quality of life in patients with chronic, non-malignant pain

2005 • 79 citations

Monitoring Opioid Adherence in Chronic Pain Patients: Assessment of Risk of Substance Misuse

2011 • 78 citations

Opioid-induced hyperalgesia: A qualitative systematic review

2006 • 77 citations

The Effect of Opioid Dose and Treatment Duration on the Perception of a Painful Standardized Clinical Stimulus

2008 • 76 citations

Breaking the News or Fueling the Epidemic? Temporal Association between News Media Report Volume and Opioid-Related Mortality

2009 • 75 citations

Evaluation of Abuse of Prescription and Illicit Drugs in Chronic Pain Patients Receiving Short-Acting (Hydrocodone) or Long-Acting (Methadone) Opioids

2005 • 74 citations

Interventional Pain Management at Crossroads: The Perfect Storm Brewing for a New Decade of Challenges

2010 • 72 citations

Comparative Evaluation of the Accuracy of Immunoassay with Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) of Urine Drug Testing (UDT) Opioids and Illicit Drugs in Chronic Pain Patients

2011 • 71 citations

Breakthrough Pain in Chronic Non-Cancer Pain: Fact, Fiction, or Abuse

2011 • 69 citations

Methadone maintenance, QTc and torsade de pointes: Who needs an electrocardiogram and what is the prevalence of QTc prolongation?

2010 • 69 citations

Preliminary results of a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial of fluoroscopic lumbar interlaminar epidural injections in managing chronic lumbar discogenic pain without disc herniation or radiculitis.

2010 • 65 citations

A Perfect Storm in Interventional Pain Management: Regulated, but Unbalanced

2010 • 65 citations

Fluoroscopic Caudal Epidural Injections With or Without Steroids in Managing Pain of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

2011 • 65 citations

Opioid use in chronic noncancer pain: guidelines revisited

2010 • 65 citations

Prescription and Administration of Opioids to Hospital In-patients, and Barriers to Effective Use

2009 • 60 citations

State Medical Board Members’ Beliefs About Pain, Addiction, and Diversion and Abuse: A Changing Regulatory Environment

2007 • 60 citations

Protocol for Accuracy of Point of Care (POC) or In-Office Urine Drug Testing (Immunoassay) in Chronic Pain Patients: A Prospective Analysis of Immunoassay and Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectometry (LC/MS/MS)

2010 • 60 citations

Determining factors that have an impact upon effective evidence‐based pain management with older people, following colorectal surgery: an ethnographic study

2006 • 59 citations

Pain on medical wards in a district general hospital

2004 • 58 citations

Opioid Prescriptions in Canadian Workers’ Compensation Claimants

2009 • 58 citations

The course of opioid prescribing for a new episode of disabling low back pain: Opioid features and dose escalation

2010 • 57 citations

A preliminary report of a randomized double-blind, active controlled trial of fluoroscopic thoracic interlaminar epidural injections in managing chronic thoracic pain.

2010 • 56 citations

Prevalence of illicit drug use among individuals with chronic pain in the Commonwealth of Kentucky: an evaluation of patterns and trends.

2005 • 54 citations

A Systematic Review of Observational Studies on the Effectiveness of Opioid Therapy for Cancer Pain

2011 • 53 citations

Government regulatory influences on opioid prescribing and their impact on the treatment of pain of nonmalignant origin

1996 • 50 citations

Narcotic Drug Use Among Patients with Lower Back Pain in Employer Health Plans: A Retrospective Analysis of Risk Factors and Health Care Services

2007 • 50 citations

A Comparative Evaluation of Illicit Drug use in Patients with or Without Controlled Substance Abuse in Interventional Pain Management

2003 • 50 citations

Comparative Evaluation of the Accuracy of Benzodiazepine Testing in Chronic Pain Patients Utilizing Immunoassay with Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/ MS/MS) of Urine Drug Testing

2011 • 48 citations

Opioids in chronic noncancer pain

2010 • 47 citations

Critical issues on opioids in chronic non-cancer pain: An epidemiological study

2008 • 47 citations

Prevalence of prescription drug abuse and dependency in patients with chronic pain in western Kentucky.

2003 • 46 citations

Addressing the Global Tragedy of Needless Pain: Rethinking the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs

2007 • 45 citations

Office visits and analgesic prescriptions for musculoskeletal pain in US: 1980 vs. 2000

2004 • 42 citations

Opioid use in young veterans

2011 • 42 citations

Importance of Urine Drug Testing in the Treatment of Chronic Noncancer Pain: Implications of Recent Medicare Policy Changes in Kentucky

2010 • 39 citations

Pain as a Human Right

2005 • 38 citations

QT interval prolongation: prevalence, risk factors and pharmacovigilance data among methadone-treated patients in France

2010 • 38 citations

Opioids for chronic noncancer pain

2009 • 37 citations

Increased adolescent opioid use and complications reported to a poison control center following the 2000 JCAHO pain initiative

2011 • 37 citations

Improving State Pain Policies: Recent Progress and Continuing Opportunities

2007 • 37 citations

Hospital doctors’ views of factors influencing their prescribing

2007 • 36 citations

Urine Drug Testing in the Treatment of Chronic Noncancer Pain in a Kentucky Private Neuroscience Practice: The Potential Effect of Medicare Benefit Changes in Kentucky

2010 • 32 citations

A Critical Assessment of Opioid Treatment Adherence Using Urine Drug Testing in Chronic Pain Management

2011 • 30 citations

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

1957 • 29 citations

Depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults receiving opioid therapy for chronic pain

2011 • 28 citations

Pain, anxiety and insomnia – a global perspective on the relief of suffering

2003 • 26 citations

Return to Galileo? The Inquisition of the International Narcotic Control Board

2008 • 23 citations

The Inadequate Treatment of Pain: Collateral Damage from the War on Drugs

2012 • 22 citations

Opioid maintenance patients with QTc prolongation: Congenital long QT syndrome mutation may be a contributing risk factor

2010 • 19 citations

Misuse of prescribed controlled substances defined by urinalysis.

2003 • 18 citations

Reference intervals: A novel approach to detect drug abuse in a pain patient population

2011 • 16 citations

Age and opioid analgesia in an acute hospital population

2008 • 16 citations

Profit-Driven Drug Testing

2012 • 16 citations

Opioids for neuropathic pain (Review)

2009 • 14 citations

Biological consequences of long-term intrathecal administration of opioids.

2005 • 11 citations

Impact of Outside Regulatory Investigation on Opiate Administration in the Emergency Department

2006 • 10 citations

Damned if they do, damned if they don't: the need for a comprehensive public policy to address the inadequate management of pain.

2004 • 10 citations

Verschreibung von Betäubungsmitteln zur Schmerztherapie und zur Substitution durch niedergelassene ärzte (Prescribing strong opioids for pain therapy and for substitution therapy by established physicians)

1996 • 9 citations

Ending Unnecessary Opioid-Related Deaths: A National Priority

2011 • 7 citations