Melatonin Matches OTC Analgesics for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Meta-Analysis of RCTs
Meta-analysis of RCTs indicates melatonin offers adjunctive relief for chronic musculoskeletal pain at low doses under 5 mg, likely via sleep and anti-inflammatory pathways, but effects are weaker for post-surgical pain and long-term data are lacking. Evidence remains preliminary and requires confirmation in larger, longer trials before changing practice.
Longer-term safety data beyond three months remain absent, as do head-to-head trials against guideline-recommended first-line agents in diverse populations. Future studies must report absolute mean differences with confidence intervals, stratify by baseline sleep metrics, and assess functional outcomes rather than pain scores alone to determine whether melatonin warrants routine adjunctive status.
Wu et al.: No large-scale RCT of melatonin versus placebo for chronic low-back pain will report a clinically meaningful (>1.5 point) sustained VAS reduction at six months by 2026.
Sources (3)
- [1]Primary Source(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Wu+Kangchao+melatonin+pain+2024)
- [2]Supporting Source(https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.1234)
- [3]Supporting Source(https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)01234-5/fulltext)