TABLE 2.

Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) results of the all study participants in the l-serine (l-Ser) + EPA supplementation group and the placebo group at weeks 0, 4, 8, and 12

	Baseline		Week 4			Week 8			Posttreatment observation period: week 12
	l-Ser + EPA	Placebo	l-Ser + EPA	Placebo	P value2	l-Ser + EPA	Placebo	P value2	l-Ser + EPA	Placebo	P value2
BPI1: pain at its worst in the last 24 h	4.13 ± 1.63	4.12 ± 1.33	2.92 ± 1.51	3.35 ± 1.27	0.028*	2.35 ± 1.19	2.90 ± 1.19	0.004**	2.9 ± 1.5	3.2 ± 1.3	0.169
BPI2: pain at its least in the last 24 h	1.38 ± 1.04	1.27 ± 0.92	0.83 ± 0.83	0.88 ± 1.01	0.415	0.60 ± 0.74	0.65 ± 0.88	0.467	0.6 ± 1.0	0.6 ± 0.9	0.793
BPI3: pain on average	3.03 ± 1.39	2.77 ± 1.16	1.98 ± 1.16	2.22 ± 1.09	0.020*	1.58 ± 0.98	1.87 ± 0.97	0.019*	2.0 ± 1.1	2.0 ± 1.0	0.493
BPI4: pain right now	2.80 ± 1.55	2.62 ± 1.57	1.57 ± 1.35	1.70 ± 1.27	0.281	1.10 ± 1.12	1.33 ± 0.97	0.104	1.1 ± 1.3	1.4 ± 1.3	0.251
BPI5A: intensity of pain: lying	2.08 ± 1.63	2.05 ± 1.42	1.30 ± 1.28	1.30 ± 1.31	0.931	1.00 ± 1.19	1.08 ± 1.25	0.608	0.8 ± 1.4	0.9 ± 1.3	0.788
BPI5B: intensity of pain: sitting	2.75 ± 1.71	2.53 ± 1.59	1.83 ± 1.36	1.78 ± 1.33	0.797	1.33 ± 1.27	1.52 ± 1.31	0.197	1.7 ± 1.7	1.4 ± 1.3	0.413
BPI5C: intensity of pain: standing	3.28 ± 1.79	3.03 ± 1.57	1.93 ± 1.40	1.93 ± 1.30	0.512	1.53 ± 1.28	1.82 ± 1.41	0.069	2.0 ± 1.6	2.0 ± 1.5	0.664
BPI5D: intensity of pain: moving	3.60 ± 1.68	3.33 ± 1.66	2.22 ± 1.39	2.72 ± 1.33	0.001**	1.77 ± 1.25	2.43 ± 1.31	0.001**	2.1 ± 1.6	2.8 ± 1.6	0.007**

¹BPI scores from all study participants at weeks 0, 4, 8 (dosing period), and 12 (posttreatment observation period). The BPI scores based on 8 questions are shown. Data are expressed as the means ± SDs, n = 60 in each group.

² P values were obtained from ANCOVA between groups by each time point, using the scores at baseline as covariates. ^*,**Significant difference between supplementation and placebo groups: *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01.