Common painkillers not recommended by NICE for chronic pain

Using common painkillers to treat chronic pain could do more harm than good, according to a draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE; London, UK) on the assessment and management of chronic pain in people over the age of 16. The guidance noted that commonly used drug treatments for chronic primary pain have little or no evidence that they work and should not be prescribed. Within the draft guidelines, emphasis was also placed on the important of putting the patient at the center of care and fostering a supportive relationship between the patient and their...