Water-Dispersible Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) Supplementation for Functional Improvement in Adults With Chronic Sciatica-Related Back Pain: A Pilot Clinical Trial
Open-label, no control groupHumansWith Acmella oleracea extract
This study tested palmitoylethanolamide together with Acmella oleracea extract. Its results cannot be assigned to palmitoylethanolamide alone. More combination studies.
- Design
- Open-label, no control group
- Subjects
- 60 adults with low back pain with sciatica
- Dose used in the study
- PEA and Acmella oleracea extract nutraceutical combination, oral; dose not stated in the abstract
- Duration
- 4 weeks
- What was measured
- Pain intensity (Numeric Rating Scale), neuropathic pain features (DN4 questionnaire), daily functioning, and safety and tolerability
What the authors reported
This pilot clinical trial found:
- Baseline NRS pain score was 5.12±0.79 and fell significantly from day 3, reaching 1.65±0.66 by the end of the study (p<0.001).
- DN4 neuropathic pain scores and daily functioning also improved significantly.
- No relevant adverse events were reported.
Limits of this study
An open-label pilot trial with no control group and 60 participants, testing PEA only in combination with Acmella oleracea extract, so PEA's independent effect cannot be separated. Funding and conflicts not stated in the abstract beyond ethics approval details.
Source
PubMed 42255791 · doi:10.7759/cureus.108319
Entry checked against the abstract on PubMed on 2026-09-22. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.