Research Article
Promising Health Benefits of Adjuvant Acmella and Zingiber
Extracts Combined with Coenzyme Q10 Phytosomes,
Supplementation in Chronic Pain Treated with Medical Cannabis:
A Prospective and Open-Label Clinical Study
Paolo Poli,
1
Simona Carnevale,
1
Antonella Scocca ,
1
Pier Luigi Davolio,
2
Simona Busi,
2
Martino Meneghin,
3
Giovanna Petrangolini ,
3
and Antonella Riva
3
1
Polipain Clinic, Pisa, Italy
2
Farmad Lab-R & D, Florence, Italy
3
Indena SpA, Research and Development Department, Milan, Italy
Correspondence should be addressed to Antonella Riva; antonella.riva@indena.com
Received 20 April 2022; Revised 11 May 2022; Accepted 26 May 2022; Published 13 June 2022
Academic Editor: Shuli Yang
Copyright © 2022 Paolo Poli et al. is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License,
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Background. Chronic pain is a condition where pain persists for months or even years. Nowadays, several drugs comprising of
medical cannabis are utilized for chronic pain relief. Even if there are some associated side effects, the use of supplements can
widen the reliable tools available for improving an individual’s quality of life. Objective. e aim of the present study was to
evaluate the efficacy in terms of pain intensity, psychological well-being, and quality of life of a new dietary supplement in chronic
pain subjects under current treatment with medical cannabis. Methods. In this pilot study, 48 medical cannabis-treated subjects
were supplemented with a dietary supplement containing a combination of standardized Zingiber officinalis and Acmella oleracea
extracts in phytosome (Mitidol), coenzyme Q10 phytosome (Ubiqsome), and group B vitamins (B1, B6, and B12), twice daily for
90 days. In order to explore the benefits of the product as an adjuvant supplementation for pain relief, the pain intensity, measured
by the visual analogue scale (VAS), the pain type, and quality, evaluated by the Italian Pain Questionnaire (QUID) and the possible
reduction of therapeutic and/or painkiller doses were recorded. Results. After 90 days, significant pain relief was detected in almost
70% of the subjects receiving the new dietary supplement, with sensory, emotional, and pain amelioration in one-third of them. A
reduction in both tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) doses was also observed after 3 months of supple-
mentation. ese findings demonstrate new perspectives for the use of an innovative dietary supplement that combines Acmella
and Zingiber extracts, Coenzyme Q10, and group B vitamins resulting in a beneficial long-term adjuvant in cannabis-treated
pain subjects.
1. Introduction
Chronic pain is generally defined as pain refractory to
standard treatment modalities. It is a stressing condition
affecting 100 million people in Europe, impacting subjects’
quality of life. Different types of chronic pain exist, with the
most represented being neuropathic pain, rheumatoid ar-
thritis, headache, fibromyalgia, and central nervous sys-
tem (CNS) disorders [1].
Cannabinoid prescriptions in Italy [2–5] are allowed for
chronic pain and pain associated to multiple sclerosis, as well
as other indications (i.e., HIV and cancer) [6–8]. However,
therapy with medical cannabis would also be insufficient to
control chronic pain or would cause collateral effects such as
sleep problems, anxiety, or stress [9, 10]. Supplementation
with natural products could help to reduce cannabis-related
side effects or cannabis/painkiller use.
erefore, the aim of the present investigation was to
observe potential benefits of a long-term administration (90
Hindawi
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Volume 2022, Article ID 7099161, 6 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/7099161