Natural Relief from Nerve Pain with PEA

Are you part of the 1 in 20 Australians who suffer from nerve pain?¹ If so, you know firsthand how it can reduce your quality of life and take a detrimental toll on your physical and emotional health. If you’re at the point of feeling like you’ve tried everything, read on to learn about a natural pain-relieving ingredient that may be the answer you’ve been searching for. But first, let’s take a look at how nerve pain and other ongoing pain symptoms develop in the first place.

What Happens with Nerve Pain?

Pain is complex and involves nerve and inflammatory processes, which trigger physical pain symptoms. When tissues become injured or damaged, which occurs in fibromyalgia, sciatica, neuropathy, carpal tunnel syndrome, musculoskeletal disorders and many more conditions, a multitude of systems, cells and chemical messengers coordinate to create inflammation and the sensation of pain at the site of injury. In the ideal scenario, once the tissue is repaired, an orchestra of cells and compounds also work to slow and eventually turn off these responses, returning the body to normal. Unfortunately, when the body cannot resolve this tissue damage, turn off this inflammatory response, or reduce the amount of pain signals produced, a vicious cycle of pain develops. Unfortunately, persistent pain can be notoriously difficult to manage and can cause significant disruption to day-to-day life. This particularly true of nerve pain, which can feel like burning, tingling, numbness, pins and needles or a combination of these.

What is PEA?

PEA or palmitoylethanolamide, is a natural substance produced on demand in the body when pain or inflammation occur. It acts to reduce their levels and bring the body back into balance. PEA does this by supporting a system you may not have heard of before, called the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is made up of compounds and receptors that predominantly work on your brain, spine and immune system, communicating with them to reduce the sensation of pain and the production of inflammatory cells. Specifically, PEA works to stimulate or increase the activity of the ECS, spurring it on when acute pain or inflammation is present.² However, if the pain or inflammation is ongoing, your body’s natural PEA levels can become depleted and the body finds it more difficult to produce, restricting the benefits it can provide.

For this reason, people with ongoing mild nerve pain and inflammation may choose to supplement with PEA, to make up for what their body is struggling to produce.

Does PEA Really Work for Pain?

The efficacy of PEA has been demonstrated for reducing mild nerve pain, neuralgia and inflammation in many clinical trials.³ ⁷

Which PEA Supplement is Right for Me?

Due to the complex nature of pain, we recommend you consult a Healthcare Practitioner who can tailor a pain management plan to your needs and recommend which of the below two Metagenics PEA-based supplements may be most suited to your needs.

PainX Headache & Migraine is formulated with high strength PEA combined with saffron and vitamin B1, to help relieve mild nerve pain and inflammation. It supports nervous system function to help break the pain cycle. The PEA used in this formula is Levagen+™, a highly bioavailable form of PEA using LipiSperse® technology for enhanced absorption.

PainX is a powder combination of Levagen+™ PEA and Meta Mag®, enhanced absorption magnesium for neuromuscular function and relief from mild nerve pain. It provides analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, helps to reduce mild nerve pain and supports muscle relaxation, reducing mild spasms and muscle cramps.

Could PEA be the Missing Puzzle Piece?

If you’re suffering from mild nerve pain and inflammation, PEA could be the missing puzzle piece in your pain management plan.

It is always recommended to discuss your unique case with a healthcare Practitioner, to ensure PEA is appropriate for you. Further, as PEA is fat soluble, it’s also important you’re prescribed a type of supplemental PEA that enables it to become more water soluble, so your digestive system (which is also water-soluble), can absorb it properly.

Find a Practitioner in your local area, so you can discuss if PEA could assist with your case. Providing or replenishing your body with PEA will allow it do the work it loves to do, which is reducing your pain so you can get back to the things you enjoy.

References:

1. NPS MedicineWise. Nerve pain, explained. Updated March 9, 2021. Accessed July 13, 2024. https://www.nps.org.au/consumers/nerve-pain-explained
2. Clayton P, Hill M, Bogoda N, Subah S, Venkatesh R. Palmitoylethanolamide: A natural compound for health management. Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(10):5305. doi:10.3390/ijms22105305.
3. Gatti A, Lazzari M, Gianfelice V, Di Paolo A, Sabato E, Sabato AF. Palmitoylethanolamide in the treatment of chronic pain caused by different etiopathogenesis. Pain Med. 2012;13(9):1121-30. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2012.01432.x.
4. Steels E, Venkatesh R, Vitetta G, Vitetta L. A double-blind randomized placebo controlled study assessing safety, tolerability and efficacy of palmitoylethanolamide for symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. Inflammopharmacology. 2019;27(3):475-485. doi: 10.1007/s10787-019-00582-9.
5. Schifilliti C, Cucinotta L, Fedele V, Ingegnosi C, Luca S, Leotta C. Micronized palmitoylethanolamide reduces the symptoms of neuropathic pain in diabetic patients. Pain Res Treat. 2014;2014:849623. doi: 10.1155/2014/849623.
6. Assini A, Laricchia D, Pizzo R, Pandolfini L, Belletti M, Colucci M, et al. The carpal tunnel syndrome in diabetes: clinical and electrophysiological improvement after treatment with palmitoylethanolamide: P1577. Eur J Neurol. 2010;12(3):295-295.
7. Guida G, De Martino M, De Fabiani A, Canterieri L, Alexandre A, Vassallo GM, et al. Palmitoylethanolamide (Normast®) in chronic neuropathic pain due to compression lumbociatalgia: a multicenter clinical study. DOLOR. 2010:25(1):35-42.