Local Physicians Seek New Ways to Treat Postoperative Knee Replacement Pain in the Face of Rising Opioid Epidemic

DAYTON, Ohio, Dec. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- An epidemic is sweeping the nation. This rapidly spreading issue is not a disease, infestation or plague, but rather the misuse and dependency on opioid pain medication. According to the Center for Disease Control, since 1999, the number of opioids prescribed for chronic pain has quadrupled, making the U.S. the largest prescriber of opioids in the world.

Opioid based pain medication, such as OxyContin or Demerol, is typically prescribed to treat chronic pain or to manage pain as a result of a traumatic incident or surgery. Unfortunately, the risk of these medications is that a dependency, or even addiction, can form from taking these medications over time.

"Especially in the case of patients receiving total knee replacement (TKR) surgery, opioid based medication has historically been prescribed as a general method of addressing the severe recovery pain," says Dr. Otto Dueno at Midwest Clinical Research Center.

TKR is the surgical process of replacing parts of a knee joint with prostheses in order to aid in normal daily function, and pain management is a necessary part of successful recovery as the healing process can be grueling. Over 700,000 knee replacement surgeries take place in the U.S. each year, and that number is expected to grow to an astronomical 3.5 million total knee replacements per year by 2030.

With this vast number of traumatic surgeries, there is a significant need for more specific treatment alternatives in order to manage postoperative pain while minimizing the risk of dependency. The research team at Midwest Clinical Research Center is hopeful that the results from current clinical studies could lead to new treatment alternatives.

"Our research department is dedicated to understanding how to best manage postoperative knee replacement pain, and help the medical community test potential new treatment options," says Dueno. "There is a gap, a need to be address for these patients to receive better, more specific care, and we are striving each day to end this epidemic of misuse."

To find out more about this study, visit daytonkneestudy.com.

SOURCE Midwest Clinical Research