Can a sleep hormone ease chronic back pain?
NCT ID NCT06859957
First seen Sep 09, 2026 · Last updated Sep 10, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers are testing whether melatonin, a hormone the body makes to regulate sleep, can reduce pain in adults with chronic low back pain. The trial enrolls 222 people aged 18 to 65 who have had low back pain for at least three months and rate their pain at 4 or higher on a 0 to 10 scale. Participants take either 10 mg of melatonin or a placebo daily for six weeks. The main goal is to see if melatonin lowers average pain intensity compared with placebo, with additional checks on disability and how participants feel overall.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- melatonin
- What this could lead to
- If melatonin helps, it could offer a low-cost, widely available option for people with chronic low back pain, especially those who also struggle with sleep.
- What could go wrong
- Melatonin may not relieve pain better than a placebo, and the trial only follows participants for six weeks, so any benefit beyond that is unknown. Melatonin can cause drowsiness and is not risk-free for everyone.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 3
Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.
- Participants
-
222 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Apr 2025
- Expected to finish
-
Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 to 65 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * age 18-65 * understand and write Dutch * LBP for 3 months or longer * LBP must be present on 'most days' or 'every day' within the past 3 months * LBP must limit life or work activities on 'some days', 'most days', or 'every day' within the past 3 months * average LBP intensity of ≥4 on a 0-10 NRS in the past 7 days Exclusion Criteria: * LBP resulting from a specific cause such as malignancy, fracture, lumbar radiculopathy and spinal stenosis * Radiating pain into the leg that goes further (down) than the knee * Inflammatory/autoimmune arthritis * Severe physical or psychiatric co-morbidities * Contraindications to melatonin
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Erasmus MC
Rotterdam, Netherlands
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