Opioids like morphine or oxycodone certainly are effective for pain relief, and orthopedic surgeons such as myself prescribe them often, especially after surgery. 💊 However, it may surprise some that opioids don't actually act at the source of your pain. While some medications like NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen act at the source of the pain (to reduce inflammation and therefore help reduce pain), opioids generally work by preventing pain signals from reaching the brain (hence the blanket in the video). 👉 Opiods essentially tell your nervous system to “turn off” pain signals. Some describe it as “numbing the brain.” Additionally, opioids also trigger a release of dopamine, which is why taking them can create feelings of pleasure. ✅ Regardless of their mechanism, opioids certainly are effective for pain relief. However, they can have side effects such as dependency or constipation, so we try to use them only for as long as they are needed. 😷...