A Review of Effective Treatments for Patients With Co-Occurring Chronic Pain and Opioid Addiction

Chronic pain is a highly prevalent condition in adults in the United States, commonly treated with pain relief medication. Long-term use of opioid treatment increases the risk of opioid use disorder. Integrative health treatments, which include cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based therapies, have the potential to lower the intensity of chronic pain in these patients. Replacing medication with these two therapies or combining these therapies with opioid substitution therapies, such as buprenorphine, could provide a more effective approach and can prevent opioid use disorders. This paper will review literature examining the efficacy of these two therapies, with or without opioid substitution, in treating co-occurring chronic pain and opioid addiction.