More Than 30% Of People With Opioid Use Disorder May Have Central Sensitization, A Chronic Pain Syndrome

About 31% of people with opioid use disorder (OUD) have a chronic pain syndrome called central sensitization (CS), which results in abnormal pain modulation and heightened pain perception. In CS, the spinal cord transmits more pain signals that are harder for the brain to ignore. People who have CS experience greater pain interference and lower quality of life than other people with similar pain-causing conditions.

The relationship between CS and OUD was tested in a study with 141 people diagnosed with OUD who were being treated at an academic addiction treatment center. The researchers asked the participants to complete . . .