A hormone most people associate with sleep may also ease chronic pain nearly as well as common over-the-counter medications. A study published June 30 in the journal PAIN found that melatonin supplements reduced chronic musculoskeletal pain with effects comparable to ibuprofen and aspirin. The research was reported by Healthline.
The study examined two types of pain: chronic pain lasting three months or longer, and acute pain following surgeries such as knee and hip replacements, spinal procedures, and fractures. For chronic musculoskeletal pain, the reduction was large enough to rival common painkillers. For post-surgical pain, the results were less clear.
Lead study author Kangchao Wu, a PhD candidate, physiotherapy researcher, and faculty member at the University of Sydney's School of Health Sciences, described two ways melatonin may reduce pain. The first involves the hormone's own properties. "Melatonin may have some intrinsic pain-relieving properties, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, which are very crucial effects during the pain process," Wu told Healthline.
The second mechanism is more indirect. "Melatonin can improve people's sleep, help them feel better, help them move better, reduce anxiety and depression related to pain, and help them stay active during the daytime," Wu said. "All of that together can help reduce pain intensity."
Wu explained why the hormone appears to work better for chronic pain than for pain following surgery. "Post-operative pain is more acute. Chronic musculoskeletal pain is often related to long-term conditions, like poor sleep, inflammation, and nervous system sensitivity. That's maybe why we see a difference in melatonin's effects between the chronic and post-operative groups," he said.
The relationship between sleep and pain is part of why researchers turned to melatonin in the first place. Poor sleep and pain tend to reinforce each other: pain disrupts sleep, and lost sleep can make pain feel more intense. Research has also linked lost sleep to increased inflammation and a weakened pain-control system.
The study found melatonin to be safe in the short term at low doses, defined as less than three months of use and less than five milligrams. What remains unclear is the optimal dose and the effects of longer-term use. Wu framed melatonin as an addition to existing care, not a substitute. "Melatonin could be an adjunctive treatment to your existing pain treatments for chronic musculoskeletal pain, especially if you have co-existing sleep problems," he said. Experts advise talking with a doctor before trying melatonin for pain, particularly for those who do not have sleep problems or who take other medications.
