Chili Peppers Hold Secret To Pain Relief

Chile peppers have long been used to set the palate afire by culinary masochists, but who would have thought the plant could help arthritis sufferers?

It can, say rheumatologists who have had patients try Zostrix, a topical cream containing capsaicin. Capsaicin is the chemical that sears your tongue when you bite into a jalapeno, or temporarily blinds the eyes of a mugger after a dousing of pepper spray. The same chemical process that causes those kinds of pain can also treat pain in your joints.

How? Capsaicin stimulates nerve cells, producing a chemical called substance P - the neurotransmitter that sends pain messages to the brain. So, wouldn’t applying capsaicin just cause more pain? Well, it does burn initially, but after repeated applications the nerve cells’ supply of substance P runs dry.

“It’s like having a water pump that pumps water out faster than another pump can supply it,” said Gary Craig, a Spokane-area arthritis specialist. If a nerve cell’s demand for substance P is so large that it can’t keep up, eventually there’s no mechanism for sending pain messages to the brain.

More good news: Unlike traditional high-power opiate pain killers, capsaicin doesn’t have any numbing effects; it only blocks pain signals. And unlike many prescription drugs that block receptors in the brain, capsaicin just hampers a specific area’s ability to send pain messages.

“Instead of trying to block the telegram at the receiving end, you just try and stop it from being sent in the first place,” Craig said.

Craig also said many pain relievers that are taken orally also cause stomach discomfort, even ulcers. Capsaicin doesn’t.

It’s only been recently that researchers discovered capsaicin could treat arthritis. An example is a 1994 study published in Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism. It found 75 percent of osteoarthritis patients who tried capsaicin-based treatment noticed pain reduction after four weeks. As a result of such findings, the Zostrix box now reads “arthritis pain relief.”

Still, the product isn’t for everyone. Craig said capsaicin isn’t as effective when used by rheumatoid arthritis suffers, since that form of the disease isn’t isolated to a specific joint.

Also, results aren’t immediate. Some people don’t have the patience to use the product multiple times a day for a week or two before substance P runs dry. In the meantime, the product can cause a burning sensation and some redness. It’s also not a good idea to get the stuff into your eyes.

The suggested retail price for Zostrix is $12.99, and a more powerful Zostrix HP lists for $14.99. Around Spokane, prices seem to run a little higher. Zostrix runs anywhere from $15.99 on sale to $20. The more potent Zostrix HP can be found from $19.99 to $26.