By now, we’re all well aware of the enormous damage that opiates can do. But it turns out that we know a lot less about the good they can do for those who live with chronic pain. Now, a first-of-its-kind study has “compared opioids to non-opioid drugs in patients with persistent back pain or hip or knee osteoarthritis. Its results are devastating.” From Vox: Finally, proof: opioids are no better than Tylenol for treating some chronic pain. “The striking result was that the patients on opioids did no better than those taking the opioid alternatives — despite the much higher risk profile of opioids. At one year, the opioid takers even reported being in slightly more pain compared to the non-opioid group.”

+ “What do orangutans do when their arms and joints hurt? Borneo being short on physical therapists, orangutans, especially adult females, have been known to chew the leaves of a local plant and rub the resulting paste onto the painful area.” We’re not the only ones (often desperately) looking for ways to ease the pain: This is How Wild Animals Self-Medicate.