This Supplement Provides a Fresh Perspective for Managing Chronic Pain

Persistent pain, known as chronic pain, can have a detrimental impact on your quality of life. It becomes challenging to find joy in life when every activity you engage in causes discomfort.

Unfortunately, the pain-relieving medications prescribed by traditional healthcare providers may temporarily alleviate pain but come with severe side effects, particularly gastrointestinal bleeding. This results in around 100,000 hospitalizations annually and leads to numerous deaths.

Moreover, these medications do not offer long-term relief for your pain. If you rely on NSAIDs to manage persistent pain, you are likely familiar with the limited effectiveness they provide.

However, a natural substance that has been utilized in Europe for many years could be a solution for the millions of Americans who wake up daily experiencing bodily discomfort.

An appealing aspect of this natural substance is that it is a chemical naturally produced by your body, referred to as an "endogenous" molecule by medical professionals. Furthermore, it has minimal to no side effects. I have personally been using this pain relief remedy for a few weeks, and the outcomes have been remarkable.

Combatting Inflammation

The compound in question is known as palmitoylethanolamide, commonly referred to as PEA. It was first identified in egg yolks, soy, and peanuts in 1957.

PEA is classified as an autacoid, a substance produced throughout the body by nearly every organ. Research from the 1970s revealed that PEA could reduce inflammation and potentially enhance immunity against illnesses like the common cold and flu.

Subsequent studies indicated that PEA could be beneficial in managing various types of chronic pain that are often challenging to cope with.

For instance, conditions such as sciatica and carpal tunnel syndrome fall under the category of "nerve compression syndromes." This means that when nerves in these areas are compressed, it triggers inflammation in the nerves and nerve roots, leading to an abnormal increase in pain sensitivity.

Studies suggest that the body's natural PEA can help regulate this type of inflammation and prevent it from escalating to the point where the pain becomes constant. However, individuals suffering from conditions like arthritis, back pain, and carpal tunnel syndrome often have low levels of PEA in the affected areas.

Supplementing PEA for Insufficient Production

For reasons yet to be fully understood, some individuals do not produce enough PEA, or it fails to reach the areas where the pain is most severe. Encouragingly, research has shown that taking PEA can compensate for this deficiency and reduce inflammation significantly, resulting in pain relief.

Italian researchers conducted experiments to assess the impact of PEA supplementation on immune cells that accumulate during sciatic back pain triggered by nerve compression. They discovered that when PEA levels are low, mast cells become hyperactive, causing inflammation around the compressed region. Additionally, in cases of sciatica, groups of microglia in the spinal cord become activated.

Supplemental PEA can counteract these processes that contribute to pain. It effectively deactivates mast cells, reduces the negative effects of microglia in the spine, and diminishes the accumulation of growth factors that harm nerve tissue.

In addition to its pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties, studies suggest potential uses of PEA in conditions such as:

• Cold and flu: Research indicates that PEA can help reduce the risk of respiratory infections and combat infections once they occur.
• Diabetic neuropathy: PEA may alleviate nerve pain associated with diabetes that does not respond to other pain medications.
• Parkinson's disease: Studies have shown that administering PEA to Parkinson's patients undergoing levodopa treatment can slow disease progression and alleviate associated disabilities.

Despite the extensive research on the benefits of PEA, it remains relatively overlooked. This may be attributed to the fact that nutraceuticals like PEA cannot be patented, leading to limited focus from the pharmaceutical industry and subsequently reduced study, publicity, and recognition.

Nevertheless, PEA is available online. I have been using a PEA supplement called PEA Cure, and the results have been impressive. I combine it with other natural anti-inflammatory remedies like boswellia, silymarin, curcumin, fish oil, and Jewel Vine. All of these plant-based solutions are safe and non-toxic when used as instructed, except for rare cases of allergic reactions.