The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Journavx, a non-opioid pain medication developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, for short-term pain relief following surgery or injuries. This decision represents a significant advancement in pain management by offering an alternative to opioids, which carry a high risk of addiction and overdose.
Journavx (suzetrigine) 50 mg oral tablets belong to a new class of painkillers that target sodium channels in the peripheral nervous system, blocking pain signals before they reach the brain. Jacqueline Corrigan-Curay, acting director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, emphasized that the approval reflects the FDA’s commitment to expanding safer pain management options.
While Journavx marks progress in non-opioid pain treatment, its modest effectiveness highlights the ongoing challenge of finding alternative pain relief solutions. The FDA’s accelerated approval process underscores the urgency of developing safer and more effective alternatives to opioids.
Understanding Opioids in Pain Management
Opioids, commonly prescribed for moderate to severe pain resulting from injuries, illnesses, or surgery, include oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, codeine, and fentanyl. Despite their effectiveness in pain relief, prolonged opioid use can lead to addiction, overdose, and even death. Data from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) between 2011 and 2021 revealed that in 2017, morphine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone accounted for 70% of all opioid prescriptions in the United States.
This persistent reliance on opioids continues despite growing awareness of their risks.
In fact, federal initiatives have long sought to expand access to safer treatment options. In 2022, a program supporting small, rural primary care clinics significantly increased their ability to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. Researchers worked with 15 clinics in Colorado over a year-long period, providing educational resources, direct access to addiction specialists, and implementation support. As a result, the average number of active buprenorphine prescriptions per clinic rose from 2.1 to 11.3 within 13 months.
Exploring alternatives to opioids
As the opioid crisis grows, Georgia embarked upon a statewide training program is equipping nursing professionals with the skills to assess, diagnose, and treat individuals with opioid use disorders. But beyond medications, non-pharmacological treatments are the need of the hour.
A recent study led by researchers at University Hospitals Connor Whole Health explored the effectiveness ofsssssss chiropractic spinal manipulation (CSM) in managing sciatica, a painful condition caused by nerve compression. The study found that patients who initially received CSM were significantly less likely to experience opioid-related adverse drug events (ORADEs), such as overdose and poisoning, over a one-year period compared to those who received conventional medical care.
Published in PLOS One, the retrospective cohort study analyzed data from over 744,000 patients in the TriNetX Diamond Network. It revealed that only 0.09% of CSM patients experienced an ORADE within a year, compared to 0.30% in the usual medical care group, translating to a 71% lower risk of adverse opioid effects. Additionally, CSM recipients were 32% less likely to be prescribed oral opioids.
Dr. Roshini Srinivasan, co-author and resident physician at Duke University Hospital, highlighted the significance of these findings. “This work underscores that chiropractic spinal manipulation is not only an effective analgesic and rehabilitative modality but may also be life-saving by reducing opioid reliance,” she stated. The researchers emphasized that their findings align with clinical practice guidelines recommending spinal manipulation as part of a multimodal approach to treating sciatica.
Another non-opioid alternative gaining traction is yoga for treating chronic low back pain. In 2024, Cleveland Clinic researchers found that a 12-week therapeutic virtual yoga program for chronic low back pain is a feasible, safe, and effective treatment option. Given that chronic low back pain affects up to 20% of adults worldwide, non-pharmacologic treatments such as physical therapy and yoga classes have shown promise in improving back-related function.
A 24-week randomized clinical trial conducted from May 2022 through May 2023 assessed 140 eligible participants with chronic low back pain. Those reassessed for pain intensity, back-related function, pain-medication use, and sleep quality reported six times greater reductions in pain intensity scores. Hallie Tankha, research faculty in the Department of Wellness and Preventive Medicine at Cleveland Clinic, emphasized the significance of these findings: “Now we must work to increase access to this safe and effective treatment.”