Oxycodone use explains variation in balance among individuals with chronic pain: a cross-sectional study

Presentatörer:
Sofia Wagner, PT, M.Sc., Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Hanna Ljungvall, Ph.D., Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Annika Bring, PT, Ph.D., Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
R Karlsten, MD, Ph.D., Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
L Ekselius, MD, Ph.D., Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
P Åsenlöf, PT, Ph.D. Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.

Background: Chronic pain (> 3 months) is associated with balance impairments and falls. Long-term opioid use in chronic pain is associated with falls, but little is known about the contribution of opioid use to variation in balance.

Aim: To examine the extent to which bio-psycho-social variables, including opioid use, explain variation in dynamic balance for individuals with chronic pain in specialized pain care.

Methods: In total, 179 patients with chronic pain referred to specialized pain care were included in this cross-sectional study. Univariable and multivariable linear regression analyses with forward selection were performed.

Results: In the sample, 111 individuals (60%) were using opioids. The most common opioid was oxycodone (n=47). Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that oxycodone use (B = -3.1; p = .002), female sex (B = -2.3; p = .015), high age (B = -0.1; p = <.001), low educational level (B = 0.9; p = .007), low pain self-efficacy (B = 0.3; p = .009), and low levels of everyday physical activity (B = 0.5; p = .03) accounted for 33% of the variance in balance (R² = .33).

Conclusion: These findings support the association between balance and variables that have not been shown to be associated with balance previously, such as oxycodone use, pain self-efficacy, and educational level. Contrary to previous findings, pain-related fears were not associated with balance. Larger, prospective studies are warranted to further explore the association between balance and opioid use, giving special attention to the type of opioid and its mechanisms.