What is the recommended pain management approach for distal radius fracture?
Effective analgesia is a core component of distal radius fracture treatment. Current evidence-based guidance moves away from opioid-centric protocols in favour of strategies that combine multiple pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic modalities to achieve adequate pain control while minimising opioid exposure.
The recommended first-line strategy is a multimodal, opioid-sparing approach — incorporating selected pharmacologic agents alongside non-pharmacologic interventions. The complete structured regimen, including which specific options to use and how to combine them, is available in the full protocol.
References
- In the absence of sufficient evidence specific to distal radius fractures, it is the opinion of the workgroup that opioid sparing and multimodal pain management strategies should be considered for patients undergoing treatment for distal radius fractures.
- Based on these studies and the risks of opioid analgesics (adverse events, misuse, opioid use disorder, diversion for nonmedical use), it is the recommendation of the committee that opioid alternatives (pharmacologic (local anesthetics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, acetaminophen) and nonpharmacologic (ice, elevation, compression, cognitive therapies)) should be considered alongside opioid sparing protocols when possible.
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