Does a PEA supplement help with pain?
Maybe a little, for some long-term pain. PEA beat the comparison in 8 of 11 trials. In 3, it did no better than a dummy pill. Nobody knows yet which pain it suits.
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Does PEA help with pain?
It may help a little. A review pooled 11 trials with 774 people in long-term pain. In each, neither the people nor the researchers knew who got PEA.
On a 0 to 10 pain scale, pain fell by about 1.7 points more with PEA, on average.
| Pain | Trial length | PEA against the comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Knee arthritis | 8 weeks | Better than a dummy pill |
| Nerve pain from diabetes | 8 weeks | Better than a dummy pill |
| Period pain (mix) | 10 days | Better than a dummy pill |
| Jaw joint arthritis | 14 days | Better than ibuprofen |
| Long-term pelvic pain (mix) | 3 months | Better than a dummy pill |
| Irritable bowel syndrome (mix) | 12 weeks | Better than a dummy pill |
| Multiple sclerosis (MS, a nerve condition) | 12 months | Better than a dummy pill |
| Burning mouth | 60 days | Better than a dummy pill |
| Carpal tunnel (a squashed nerve in the wrist) | 60 days | No difference |
| Spinal cord injury | 12 weeks | No difference |
| Vulval pain (mix) | 60 days | No difference |
Source: Lang-Illievich 2023 review
Trials marked “mix” gave PEA with another compound, transpolydatin.
That’s the open question: which pain it suits. The authors say finding the right kinds of pain still needs research.
An average is like a class’s average mark: it can hide pupils who fail. So it can’t promise PEA will help your pain.
The authors add two warnings. All but one trial had fewer than 100 people. And the gain may not be big enough for people to feel.
Thinking of trying it? Read the dose and safety sections first.
What is a PEA supplement?
PEA is short for palmitoylethanolamide. It’s a fatty substance your body makes itself. It was first found in egg yolk, soy and peanut meal.
You’ll see it sold as capsules or tablets. Some labels say “micronised”, which means the powder is ground very fine.
Does that make it work better? No trial has tested the two side by side, so there’s no proof either way. Don’t pay extra for the word alone.
Looking for pea protein? That’s protein powder made from peas, a different thing. See our vegetarian protein powder guide.
How much PEA did the trials use?
Doses varied a lot, and the review says no clear advice exists on how long to take it. So here is what the trials did. It isn’t a dose to copy.
What the PEA pain trials did
- 1
Dose
300 to 1,200 mg a day.
- 2
How often
Twice a day in 9 of 11 trials.
- 3
Length
8 to 12 weeks in most trials.
- 4
First change
Some trials saw less pain by about 4 weeks.
Source: Lang-Illievich 2023 review
In one knee arthritis trial, 111 adults took 300 mg, 600 mg or a dummy pill a day for 8 weeks. Both doses eased pain more than the dummy pill.
Who paid? Two trials were funded by companies, and in two more the maker gave the product.
Most trials didn’t report a clear gain in the first couple of weeks. So write down your pain score each week, and judge it over weeks, not days.
Is PEA safe?
In the 11 trials, no major side effects were put down to PEA. One trial found a few mild stomach upsets that soon passed.
| Question | What the evidence says |
|---|---|
| Up to 49 days | Serious reactions in 1 in 200 people or more look unlikely. |
| Over 60 days | Too few people studied to rule out rarer reactions. |
| Pregnancy, breastfeeding or children | The reviews we read give no safety data. |
| With other medicines | The reviews we read give no data on this. |
Sources: Gabrielsson 2016 review; Lang-Illievich 2023 review
Pregnant, breastfeeding or on any medicines? Ask a pharmacist before you start.
On painkillers? Don’t swap them for PEA on your own. Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without your prescriber.
What helps long-term pain more?
The NHS and NICE suggest these steps for pain that lasts. You can do them alongside anything else you try.
Six NHS and NICE steps for long-term pain
- Build up gentle activity, such as walking, swimming, gardening or dancing.
- Pain with no clear cause? Ask your GP about a supervised group exercise programme.
- Pain with no clear cause? Ask your GP about CBT or ACT for pain, talking therapies that help you cope.
- Breathe slowly and deeply when the pain is bad.
- Go to bed and get up at the same times, and avoid naps in the day.
- Look for a free NHS self-management course for long-term pain.
Sources: NHS: 10 ways to ease pain; NICE NG193
Worried that moving will cause harm? The NHS says if you build up slowly, it’s unlikely you’ll cause any damage.
Start with our back exercises or knee strengthening exercises. Weighing up other pills? See joint supplements and glucosamine.
When to speak to a GP
Before you try a supplement, it helps to know what’s causing your pain. See a GP if:
- Your back pain hasn’t improved after a few weeks of home treatment, stops your daily life, or you’re worried about it or struggling to cope. See the NHS back pain page.
- You have back pain and you’ve lost weight without trying, or there’s a lump or swelling in your back or it has changed shape. Or the pain doesn’t improve after resting or is worse at night. Or it’s worse when sneezing, coughing or pooing, or it’s in the top of your back between your shoulders.
- You have pain, tingling or loss of feeling in your feet, loss of balance or weakness, or a foot cut that isn’t healing. These can be signs of nerve damage.
- Back pain comes with feeling hot, cold, shivery or unwell, or starts suddenly and badly, or gets worse fast. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111.
- Call 999 or go to A&E if back pain comes with pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs, or chest pain. Do the same for numbness around your genitals or bottom, or changes in peeing or pooing, such as difficulty peeing, or peeing or pooing yourself.
With back pain, the NHS also says to call 999 if your penis or vagina feels different during sex. The same goes if you can’t get or keep an erection, or can’t orgasm. Call 999 too if the pain began after a serious accident.
Painful periods or bad nights? See our period pain guide or sleep hygiene guide.