Addressing the Intersections of Chronic Pain and OUD: Integrative Management of Chronic Pain and OUD for Whole Recovery (IMPOWR) Research Network.

Abstract

The appearance of both chronic pain (CP) and opioid use disorder (OUD)/opioid misuse is common, can bidirectionally affect treatment outcomes, and can be challenging to treat. The successful treatment of these conditions can be further complicated by co-occurring hazardous alcohol use, general anxiety disorder, and/or major depressive disorder, and calls for the need to attend to the whole health of the patient. Health systems providing care for these individuals are often fragmented, and suffer from limited resources, expertise, and communication. The National Institute on Drug Abuse, with support from the National Institutes of Health Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative, funded the Integrative Management of chronic Pain and OUD for Whole Recovery (IMPOWR) network in 2021 to address the needs of this complex population. With continuous collaboration with community partners, the network supports 11 unique clinical trials and a Coordination and Dissemination Center which are described in this commentary. This article introduces the scientific rationale and structure of the network and highlights the themes connecting the trials together to collectively create data-driven and actionable solutions for individuals with co-occurring CP and OUD/opioid misuse.