Meta-Analysis of Palmitoylethanolamide in Pain Management: Addressing Literature Gaps and Enhancing Understanding
Meta-analysisHumans
- Design
- Meta-analysis
- Subjects
- 18 randomised trials, 1,196 patients
- What was measured
- Pain scores at 4, 6, 8 and 24 to 26 weeks, quality of life, and results broken down by type of pain
What the authors reported
Pooled standardised mean difference in pain favoured palmitoylethanolamide at every timepoint: -0.36 at 4 weeks (95% CI -0.65 to -0.07), -0.9 at 6 weeks (-1.60 to -0.31), -0.98 at 8 weeks (-1.61 to -0.36) and -1.16 at 24 to 26 weeks (-2.15 to -0.17). Quality of life also improved (-0.61). Results favoured palmitoylethanolamide in tissue-injury pain, nerve pain and pain without clear tissue or nerve damage.
Limits of this study
The largest pooled analysis in this database, and its estimate at 8 weeks is smaller than the one in Lang-Illievich 2023. The confidence intervals are wide, which points to trials that disagree with each other. The entry was checked against the abstract only, which does not give heterogeneity, adverse events, limitations or funding.
Source
Entry checked against the abstract page at the publisher (Oxford Academic) on 2026-09-21. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.