Opioid Pain Medication Used Infrequently by NFL Players
/By Pat Anson
As many football fans know, the odds of a National Football League player getting injured during a practice or game are high. A concussion, Achilles rupture, ligament tear or musculoskeletal injury can cause a player to miss a game or even an entire season.
Given the pressure to compete and be ready to play, perhaps it’s not surprising then that nearly 70% of NFL players were prescribed a pain medication during the 2021-2022 seasons.
What is surprising is the type of analgesics they were using.
A new study found that only 2.9% of the pain medications used by NFL players were opioids. The vast majority (86%) of medications, both prescribed and over-the-counter, were nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, naproxen or diclofenac. Other non-opioids used by players were muscle relaxants, corticosteroids, gabapentin, acetaminophen and migraine medication.
The study, recently published in Current Sports Medicine Reports, is based on data from a prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) that was launched by the NFL in 2019 for all players.
“NFL athletes are exposed to very physical contact and to the development of pain during or after games due to injuries. There’s always been a concern from a safety and health perspective about what are they using to treat their pain,” said co-author Kurt Kroenke, MD, a researcher-clinician at the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Medicine.
“The good news is of all medicines prescribed to league players for pain, opioids account for only 3 percent. Moreover, only 10 percent of NFL athletes received even a single prescription for an opioid during a one-year period. I think there's been much greater attention to what can be done in the training room for NFL athletes for their injuries and pain that doesn't rely on medicines.”
The findings are remarkable, given the long history of opioid use in the NFL. A 2010 survey of retired players found that over half (52%) used prescription opioids during their careers, with 71% of them reporting misuse. Many continued to use opioids after they stopped playing, with 81% of the retired players reporting their chronic pain was moderate to severe.
Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Farve, an iron man who often played through injuries, admitted taking 15 hydrocodone (Vicodin) pills at a time, and even resorted to asking teammates for their pills.
The NFL’s laissez-faire attitude about opioids started to change after 1,800 former players sued the league in 2016, alleging that team doctors routinely disregarded DEA rules about controlled substances and encouraged players to use opioids and anti-inflammatory drugs. It was not uncommon at the time for a player to get 6-7 pain pills or injections per week.
Injuries are still common in the NFL, but the league watches drug use much more closely. Every NFL player is tested for drugs at least once a year, usually before the season starts. The league also relaxed its policy about marijuana, effectively allowing players to consume cannabis during the off-season. Moderate consumption is tolerated during the season, as long as a player doesn’t have high levels of THC.
“Professional football is a very physical sport. But anyone who watches professional hockey or NBA basketball or big league soccer and even college and high school sports, realizes how these players also are prone to injuries and pain,” said Kroenke. “I think how we treat pain safely, using opioid pain medications very infrequently, applies across all sports.”
