Effect of Cetylated Fatty Acid Supplementation on Axial Discogenic Low Back Pain

Abstract Background Cetylated fatty acids (CFAs) reduce pain through decreasing production of key mediators. They have been successful in improving many conditions including athletic pubalgia, shoulder tendinopathies, and osteoarthritis, but have never been studied in axial discogenic back pain. This study aims to investigate if short term supplementation of oral CFAs reduces pain and disability in patients with axial discogenic low back pain. Methods The study included 27 patients with average age 57 ± 16 years diagnosed with axial discogenic low back pain based on axial symptoms of chronic low back pain for more than 3 months. The primary outcome of the study was the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score. The secondary outcomes were the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) (best, worst, and current pain scores) and adverse events. Clinical evaluations were performed at baseline and after 4-week supplementation period with oral CFAs. Results After four weeks of supplementation, analysis determined statistically significant reduction in ODI scores from 24.6% ± 16.0 to 16.2% ± 10.7 (p value = 0.0022). 48% of patients were determined to be responders by fulfilling the calculated Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) for ODI at 4 weeks. NPRS current, worst, and best scores all improved significantly (p-value < 0.05) from baseline to 4 weeks. 11.1% of patients experienced adverse effects, none of which were life threatening. Conclusion The use of CFA supplementation reduced axial discogenic low back pain and disability in this prospective study. Further research on the use of this treatment is warranted including randomized controlled trials.