[Opioids in the management of chronic pain and driving ability]

Abstract

Opioids are important in pain management of patients suffering from chronic pain. However, opioid use is associated with several concerns, such as opioid induced impairment of cognitive and psychomotor performance. Several studies could demonstrate that opioid treatment in stable doses does not necessarily impair complex activities such as driving ability. But due to intraindividual variability to opioid response and other confounding factors (e.g. pain intensity, co-morbidity) judgements have to be made on an individual basis only.