MELATONIN MAY EASE CHRONIC MUSCLE AND JOINT PAIN

A review of 23 clinical trials involving over 2,000 participants suggests melatonin may reduce both chronic muscle and joint pain and associated sleep problems. Researchers combined results across the trials to identify overall patterns in melatonin's effects on long-term pain conditions and post-operative pain. According to the analysis, melatonin reduced pain scores by approximately nine points on a 100-point scale in people with chronic muscle and joint pain, a reduction comparable to some anti-inflammatory drugs observed in similar studies, though the two treatments have not been directly compared.

The hormone, produced naturally by the pineal gland and commonly used to treat insomnia and jet lag, may reduce pain through several mechanisms: dampening pain signals in the brain and spinal cord, reducing inflammation, calming overactive nerves and protecting cells from oxidative stress. However, researchers noted that most chronic pain trials enrolled people who already had sleep difficulties, and no trials separated results for participants with and without sleep problems. This means it remains unclear whether melatonin works better for people who struggle with sleep or whether effects are similar across populations.

The evidence for melatonin's use after surgery was substantially weaker. Melatonin produced no noticeable difference to post-operative pain or sleep, with one analysis finding only a 2.5-point improvement on the 100-point pain scale — below levels that would matter clinically to surgical patients. Researchers concluded that melatonin should be considered as a possible supplementary treatment rather than a replacement for established pain therapies based on current evidence.