Hot New Pain Cure

Capsaicin- the compound in red chile peppers that makes them so fiery-is an effective pain reliever, suggest results from two new studies. Researchers gave 41 Danish men with surgically repaired hernias either capsaicin powder or a placebo to apply topically to their wounds after surgery. During the first 3 days, men in the capsaicin group had significantly less pain. And in a Harvard study conducted on rats, pairing capsaicin with a common anesthetic blocked pain better than the anesthetic alone, without any side effects. Capsaicin neutralizes a pain neurotransmitter in nerve fibers, says Jason Theodosakis, MD, a clinical assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and the author of The Arthritis Cure.
Apply capsaicin cream three of four times daily for three or four weeks as a balm for arthritis pain. Avoid the similar sounding capsicum- it's another pepper compound but can irritate the skin and isn't as potent, says Theodosakis.
Capsaicin cream can be found in your local drug stores such as the Vitamin Shoppe or Vitamin Cottage. It can also be purchased online at various e-drug stores.


-Sara Altshul, February 2008 issue of Prevention Magazine