Surgeons find over-the-counter medications control pain after elbow surgery as effectively as opioids

Children who take only ibuprofen or acetaminophen after routine elbow surgery report similar pain control to patients who take opioids, according to a new study by researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). The study, published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, suggests surgeons can confidently recommend over-the-counter medications to patients after elbow and discontinue the routine prescription of opioids.