Does palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) effectively reduce pain in randomized, controlled trials?

In one paragraph

Palmitoylethanolamide, a meta-analysis (Pain Physician 2017, PMID 28727699) — PEA treatment resulted in a significantly greater pain reduction compared to inactive control conditions, with a weighted mean difference of 2.03. The meta-analysis was based on a relatively small number of trials with varied pain conditions and trial designs.

Source: Pain Physician 2017, PMID 28727699 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: high

Pain Physician · 2017 · PMID 28727699

Plain-English summary written and published by Magellan Longevity · medical review by Gabriel Radu, DO (physiatrist, NPI 1376861765). We summarize what the paper reported — we did not run this study.

The takeaway

Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) shows promise for pain reduction, but more rigorous research is needed to confirm its benefits and safety.

The question

Does palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) effectively reduce pain in randomized, controlled trials?

What they tested

The researchers hypothesized that PEA would be an effective analgesic agent for treating pain.

How they did it

This meta-analysis systematically reviewed randomized, controlled trials from PubMed and Embase investigating PEA's effect on pain scores. The primary outcome was the weighted mean difference in visual analog pain scales comparing PEA to inactive controls. Ten studies with 786 PEA patients and 512 controls were identified, with eight trials included in the meta-analysis.

What they found

PEA treatment resulted in a significantly greater pain reduction compared to inactive control conditions, with a weighted mean difference of 2.03. Factors such as placebo control, blinding, concomitant treatments, and PEA duration or dose did not influence its measured efficacy. All-cause dropout was non-significantly lower in the PEA group.

What it means

PEA may be a useful and generally well-tolerated treatment for pain in research populations. However, more well-designed, randomized, placebo-controlled trials are needed to confirm its efficacy and identify potential adverse events.

Limitations

The meta-analysis was based on a relatively small number of trials with varied pain conditions and trial designs. The overall quality of the underlying studies and the assessment of side effects were often poor.

“PEA was associated with significantly greater pain reduction compared to inactive control conditions (P < 0.001)… PEA may be a useful treatment for pain and is generally well tolerated.”— from the published abstract, Pain Physician 2017

The paper at a glance

Title	Efficacy of Palmitoylethanolamide for Pain: A Meta-Analysis
Journal	Pain Physician
Year	2017
PMID	28727699 ↗
Topic	General aging biology & healthspan
DOI	Not recorded in our database — use the PubMed record above.

Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗

Where Magellan uses this paper

This citation sits behind the evidence grade on the pages below. Grades are set from the research and are independent of affiliate commissions.

Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA)

Across randomized trials and several meta-analyses, oral PEA has been associated with reductions in chronic pain of mixed origin, including neuropathic, nociceptive/musculoskeletal (e.g., knee osteoarthritis and temporomandibular joint pain) and pelvic pain from endometriosis, and it is generally well tolerated, with…

Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA)

Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is an endogenous fatty acid amide of the N-acylethanolamine family that is…

Check price on Amazon ↗

Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.

Molecules & mechanisms in this paper

Each of these is named in the paper’s own words above. Open the monograph for the full mechanism and its other citations.

Palmitoylethanolamide

Cite this page

These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record.

APA

Magellan Longevity. (2026). Does palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) effectively reduce pain in randomized, controlled trials? [Plain-English summary of Pain Physician 2017, PMID 28727699]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/pea_pain.html

BibTeX

@misc{magellan_pea_pain,
  title        = {Does palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) effectively reduce pain in randomized, controlled trials?},
  author       = {{Magellan Longevity}},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/pea_pain.html}},
  note         = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 28727699; Pain Physician 2017. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
  urldate      = {2026-08-11}
}

Permalink

https://magellanlongevity.com/study/pea_pain.html

Related studies in the Magellan library

beta-alanine supplementation to improve exercise capacity and performanceBr J Sports Med · 2016 · PMID 27797728
What are the updated Canadian Cardiovascular Society guidelines for perioperative cardiac risk…Can J Cardiol · 2016 · PMID 27865641
What are the physiological and health effects of electrically conductive contact of the human…J Inflamm Res · 2015 · PMID 25848315
Krebs cycle intermediates regulate DNA and histone methylation: epigenetic impact on the aging…Ageing Research Reviews · 2014 · PMID 24910305
Thyroid antibody status, subclinical hypothyroidism, and the risk of coronary heart diseaseJ Clin Endocrinol Metab · 2014 · PMID 24915118
Oral Alpha Lipoic Acid Treatment for Symptomatic Diabetic Peripheral NeuropathyEndocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets · 2020 · PMID 32370731

All 25 Magellan summaries on general aging biology & healthspan →

How this summary was made. Every section above restates what the published abstract of PMID 28727699 reports — the question, the design, the numbers, the authors’ own conclusion and their stated limitations. We do not add claims the paper did not make, and we keep negative and no-effect findings in. Magellan’s evidence grades are set from research like this and never from affiliate commissions.

Prefer the interactive version? Open this summary in the Magellan app → · Browse all 314 study summaries →

Educational information, not medical advice. This is a plain-English summary of published research; it is not a treatment recommendation and nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual studies can be wrong, and a single paper rarely settles a question. Talk to your physician before acting on any research, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medication.