Assessing Pain in Persons with Opioid Use Disorder: Approaches,
Techniques, and Special Considerations
Abstract
Pain and opioid use disorder (OUD) are inextricably linked, as the
former can be a risk factor for the development of the latter, and over
a third of persons with OUD suffer concomitant chronic pain. Assessing
pain among people with OUD is challenging, be-cause ongoing opioid use
brings changes in pain responses and most pain assess-ment tools have
not been validated for this population. In this narrative review, we
dis-cuss the fundamentals of pain assessment for populations with OUD.
First, we de-scribe biological, psychological, and social aspects of the
pain experience among people with OUD, as well as how opioid-related
phenomena and healthcare dispari-ties in this population may contribute
to the pain experience. Second, we review meth-ods to assess pain
including: (1) traditional self-reported methods, such visual analog
scales, and structured questionnaires; (2) behavioral observations and
physiological indicators; (3) and laboratory-based approaches, such as
functional brain imaging, electroencephalography, and quantitative
sensory testing. These methods are consid-ered from a perspective that
encompasses both pain and OUD. Finally, we discuss strategies for
improving pain assessment in persons with OUD and implications for
future research, including educational strategies for multidisciplinary
teams. Substan-tial gaps persist in our knowledge, particularly
regarding the applicability of current pain assessment methods to
persons with OUD, as well as the generalizability of the existing
results from adjacent populations. As research linking pain and OUD
evolves, considering the needs of diverse populations with complex
psychosocial back-grounds, we will be better equipped to reduce these
gaps.