Common opioid is not that effective for easing chronic pain, study finds

(CNN) — Tramadol, a potent synthetic opioid, has been widely used to treat moderate to severe pain, but a new study suggests that the medication’s potential risks outweigh its “limited” benefits for chronic pain and that the use of it should be minimized.

The study, published Tuesday in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, found that tramadol may have a “slight effect” on reducing chronic pain, but there appears to be low evidence.

“The findings indicate that the benefits of tramadol are questionable or, at the very least, uncertain. Furthermore, evidence suggests the presence of potentially harmful effects,” Dr. Janus Jakobsen, lead author of the study and a clinical professor at the University of Southern Denmark in Copenhagen, said in an email.

Tramadol can have serious side eff