Hi Upjo, I had a car accident and have lumbar pain, hip, knees, muscle wasting plus what I call PN pain. the burning, zapping, tenderness, etc in the knees down area. I feel that the knee and up pain is frome the accident and the knee down stuff is Neurapathy. He says it is all nerve pain and Yes, Opiates help w/ the knee and up pain. I take Hydrocodone 10-325 twice daily. Before I started doing this I could not stay still. I could not tolerate more than 30 miles in a car. I seperated the pains in my mind because they seem so unrelated. One is deep and crippling as the other seems more near the saurface of the body but just as maddening. The pain meds helped me but I needed a regimine for constipation control. After some real misery and help from this forum I settled on two Colase every time I take a pain pill plus Miralax at night. Wish you luck, Ken in Texas