A widely used sleep aid taken by more than five million Americans could have benefits that extend beyond helping people fall asleep.
New research suggests melatonin may also reduce discomfort in people living with chronic back pain, arthritis and other painful conditions.
Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally by the body to help control the circadian rhythm, the internal clock that signals when it is time to sleep. It is also widely available without a prescription in tablet and capsule form as an over-the-counter sleep supplement.
The findings could be significant for the estimated 58.5 million Americans with arthritis, an umbrella term for joint-related conditions that may cause pain, inflammation and stiffness severe enough to disrupt everyday life.
Researchers examined whether melatonin could ease pain while improving sleep, which is closely connected to how discomfort is experienced. Persistent pain can make it difficult to rest, while insufficient sleep may heighten pain sensitivity—creating a difficult cycle.
The team reviewed 23 clinical trials involving 2,028 people across several countries. The participants included individuals with long-term pain as well as patients recovering from procedures such as joint-replacement surgery.
In the trials, participants were randomly given melatonin, an inactive placebo or another standard pain-management treatment, including analgesics such as ibuprofen.
When the researchers combined the pain scores, they found that melatonin was associated with less discomfort—but the benefit appeared limited to participants with arthritis-related conditions.
An estimated 58.5 million Americans have been diagnosed with arthritis
“We find that melatonin can relieve people’s pain intensity with the effect comparable to some conventional analgesic medications,” Kangchao Wu, the study’s lead author, told The Epoch Times.
Published in The Journal of the International Association for the Study of Pain, the research brought together findings from two broad participant groups.
One group included people with lower-back pain, osteoarthritis or fibromyalgia. The other consisted of patients recovering from operations such as joint replacements and spinal surgery.
Participants were assigned at random to receive melatonin, a placebo or another form of pain treatment. Their pain levels were assessed using numerical rating systems.
Because the individual studies used different rating methods, researchers converted the results to a shared scale from zero to 100. For example, a drop from a pain score of 70 to 50 represented a 20-point improvement, which could then be compared with changes in the placebo group.
The analysis also considered sleep quality and reported side effects, allowing researchers to assess whether melatonin repeatedly delivered improvements in both rest and pain.
Overall, melatonin was linked to an average pain reduction of about nine points on the 100-point scale—a decrease broadly comparable to that associated with commonly used pain medicines.
The supplement was also associated with better sleep, supporting the established relationship between pain and sleep quality.
The researchers concluded that while the evidence doesn’t point to a one dose fits all model, patients suffering from chronic pain should discuss melatonin with their doctor
“For many patients, pain doesn’t exist in isolation and is closely tied to poor sleep,” Wu said.
He added: “Melatonin appears to target both, which makes it particularly useful for people managing chronic pain.”
Across the trials, the dose and timing of melatonin varied depending on the condition participants were aiming to treat.
Those suffering from chronic musculoskeletal pain typically took around 3mg per day, while those recovering from an operation took double.
The melatonin was consistently taken at night, around an hour before sleep.
The researchers concluded that while the evidence doesn’t point to a one dose fits all model, patients suffering from chronic pain should discuss melatonin with their doctor.
Traditionally, management of chronic pain includes over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen – which have been shown to have limited benefit – and opioids.
However, when taken for an extended period of time, these powerful drugs can cause reduced fertility, affect the body’s ability to fight infection and increase the risk of fracture.
Adults should have around seven hours of sleep a night, allowing for optimal recovery and improved health, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
While we are sleeping, cells repair themselves at a higher rate – specifically myelin cells which protect our nerves and can help regulate pain responses.
