Alpha Lipoic Acid Supplementation Significantly Reduces Idiopathic Pain in Adults

by | Jul 5, 2022 | 2021, Alpha Lipoic Acid

Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. 2-month supplementation of both 400 mg/day and 800 mg/day of ALA significantly reduced pain management amongst subjects, with both groups experiencing changes in pain scores, decreasing from moderate to mild pain. 

back painα-Lipoic acid (ALA) is a natural dimercaptan antioxidant commonly found in mitochondria and plays an essential role in mitochondrial metabolism 1. ALA also functions as a cofactor of enzymes and aids in glucose and lipid functioning and regulates gene transcription 2. It works as a scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and ALA exerts a broad spectrum of antioxidant functions in both aqueous and fatty tissues 3. Therefore, it is effective in improving symptoms in diseases with underlying oxidative stress elements and can downregulate proinflammatory redox-sensitive signal transduction processes 4. Previous studies on ALA have also shown its ability to delay cell senescence, increase blood flow of blood vessels of trophic nerves, and improve recovery of nerve function 5.

Neuropathic pain is common in the general population, with 80% of adults experiencing chronic neuropathic lower back or leg pain 6. Another common form of chronic nerve pain is diabetic neuropathy which is a progressive microvascular complication in type 2 diabetes that affects the motor, sensory, or autonomic nerves 7. The antioxidant activity of ALA has been previously studied for its potential ability to improve oxidative disorders of the central nervous system, diabetic neuropathy, and spinal cord injury 8.

Esposito et. al conducted a monocentric, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to assess the efficacy of ALA food supplementation on an adult population suffering from clinically diagnosed idiopathic pain. Subjects (n=210, aged 18-75) were divided into three groups:

Group 1 (G1) 800 mg/day of ALA, n=70
Group 2 (G2)400 mg/day of ALA, n=70
Group 3 (G3)Placebo, n=70

Clinical trial duration was 6 months and participants completed two visits (baseline = t0 and after 2 months = t1). During the baseline visit, information on the sociodemographic and clinical background of the subjects was obtained and reported in the case report form (CRF). Numerical rating scale (NRS, measurement of pain intensity) and visual analogue scale (VAS, assessment of general pain) scores were reported in the CRF at t0 and t1, with additional fasting glucose measurements. Primary outcomes included the safety and efficacy of ALA supplementation on normoglycemic subjects experiencing neuropathic pain. Significant findings of the study are as follows:

  • Significant differences in NRS pain scale values were noted in the G1 group from t0 to t1 (-4.55 ±24, t207 = 19.34, p < 0.001) with notable similarities in the G2 group (-4.25 ± 0.24, t207 = 18.03, p < 0.001).
  • For the VAS pain scale, the G1 group had significantly decreased scores from t0 to t1 (-51.07 ±15, t207 = 23.80, p < 0.001), with pain decreasing from moderate to mild pain. Similar results were noted in the G2 group (-35.37 ± 2.15, t207 = 16.49, p < 0.001).
  • No significant differences in NRS and VAS pain values were noted for the G3 group.

Results of the study support the findings that alpha lipoic acid significantly reduced pain levels of subjects as measured by changes in NRS and VAS pain scores. Additionally, no known side effects were experienced by participants, suggesting that ALA is a safe way to treat idiopathic pain. Study limitations include lack of clinical follow-up after the 2-month visit, the inability of the VAS and NRS methods to accurately estimate various components of the pain experience, and the low number of subjects suffering from idiopathic myalgia.

Source: Esposito, Cristina, Emanuele Ugo Garzarella, Cristina Santarcangelo, Alessandro Di Minno, Marco Dacrema, Roberto Sacchi, Gaetano Piccinocchi, Roberto Piccinocchi, and Maria Daglia. “Safety and efficacy of alpha-lipoic acid oral supplementation in the reduction of pain with unknown etiology: A monocentric, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.” Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 144 (2021): 112308.

© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. This is an open access article under the CC BY license

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Posted July 5, 2022.

Taylor Woosley studied biology at Purdue University before becoming a 2016 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a major in Writing. She currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL.

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