Research Article

An Overview of Multimodal Analgesia in Orthopedic Surgery

Abstract

Most patients undergoing orthopedic surgeries experience moderate to acute pain. Initially, opioids were the main medication that targeted mechanisms of pain transmission. However, the use of opioids has a lot of risks, including addiction, respiratory depression, urinary retention, vomiting, and nausea. Over the years, multimodal analgesia has become the preferred pain control or management strategy in orthopedic practice. Administering more than one mode to address postoperative pain by recruiting several receptors via various medications decreases the need for opioids and speeds up the recovery process. Implementation of effective analgesic interventions and strategies reduces preoperative opioid intake, subsequently preventing addiction to pain drugs and the risk of opioid overdose. Multimodal analgesia has been a crucial component of pain management in orthopedic surgery since early opioid consumption. This essay explores the concept of multimodal analgesia as a pain management mechanism in orthopedic surgery. It provides an overview of the elements of multimodal analgesia and also highlights the opioids.