Balanced analgesia: what is it and what are its advantages in postoperative pain?

The concept of balanced analgesia was introduced to improve analgesic efficacy and reduce adverse effects. A large amount of clinical data has documented improved analgesia by combining different analgesics, but data on reducing adverse effects are inconclusive. Balanced analgesia should be used whenever possible, and future studies should be directed to define optimal combination regimens in individual surgical procedures.