Across 4 studies, 3 reported beneficial effects on pain reduction, but the highest-quality evidence (a meta-analysis of 52 references in knee OA patients) found no significant effect. Effect sizes were mixed (small to moderate) among beneficial studies. The median study duration was 60 days (from one study). Most studies were conducted in clinical populations with osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, or oral mucosal diseases.
Caveats: The most rigorous evidence (a meta-analysis) found no effect, conflicting with lower-quality studies showing benefit. Beneficial studies often used vitamin E in combination with other nutrients (e.g., vitamin C), so the independent effect of vitamin E is unclear. The evidence base is small (4 studies), and conclusions should be considered preliminary.
No major side effects were noticed.
from: Clinical usefulness of nutraceutics with acetyl-L-carnitine, α-lipoic acid, phosphatidylseOmega-3 and vitamin E caused no changes in OA parameters.
Supplementation with ... a combination of vitamin C and E significantly improved measures of pain
as well as BCTQ symptoms subscale, and the pain.
NBF gel may provide clinical benefits as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal therapy, with reported improvements in pain-related outcomes