Capsaicin

13 October 2010

Capsaicin is a type of topical treatment for pain conditions such as arthritis, cluster headaches and can help alleviate pain after surgery and help with conditions involving neuralgia, or painful conditions of the skin.

Naturally found in peppers, capsaicin is the compound that makes peppers spicy and hot to the taste. When used as a topical cream, capsaicin has been found to cause the pain receptors in the body to have a heightened and then decreased response, which will in effect lower pain levels. While pain initially may increase due to the capsaicin’s irritant compound, within a few uses, pain levels will begin to decrease. Capsaicin’s effectiveness has only been noted with continuous use over a course of weeks, and so it is recommended that, should you decide to use capsaicin as a pain relieving tool, you apply it for consecutive weeks to see results. Capsaicin can be found in many forms, but the most popular are as a lotion, cream, or in a solid, deodorant-like stick.

Capsaicin taken orally may also produce the same kind of pain relief as when applied directly to the skin. Capsaicin can be found in pill form, but also is found most organically in hot peppers.

It is important to wash your hands when using capsaicin cream as it can irritate other areas of the body. Special care should be taken not to touch the eyes or nose either, as it will cause an unpleasant burning sensation.