Chronic Pain and Opioid Use in US Soldiers After Combat Deployment

Chronic Pain and Opioid Use in US Soldiers After Combat Deployment Chronic pain affects a quarter of people seeking primary health care.1,2 Opioid medications are prescribed for chronic pain, but recently, rates of opioid use and misuse have ballooned, leading to significant numbers of overdose-related hospitalizations and deaths.3 The prevalence of chronic pain and opioid use assoc iated w ith deployment is not well known, despite large numbers of wounded service members. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess chronic pain prevalence and opioid use in a non– treatment-seeking, active duty infantry population following deployment.