My Family Doctor
A family practitioner for over 25 years, Dr. Hubbard knows the medical world inside and out. Frustrated by managed care and the lack of time doctors were able to spend educating patients, he launched James Hubbard's My Family Doctor: The Magazine That Makes Housecalls, a national magazine written by health care practitioners that is his answer to hurried doctor visits, conflicting medical studies, and complicated treatment options.
Hot Pepper Cream: Burn That Pain Away!
Is the cure worse than the treatment?
If “rub it” seems like sissy advice for your throbbing cluster headaches, aching back, or worrisome arthritis pain, perhaps “burn it” will do the trick?
Capsaicin creams and sprays burn away the pain, so to speak, with the same chemical that makes peppers hot. These medicines make your body use up the substance triggering your pain, according to integrative medicine physician Andrea E. Gordon in Capsaicin Treatment: How Hot Peppers May Help Burn Away Headache and Arthritis Pain.
Is the cure worse than the treatment? In some cases, maybe; in others, maybe not, says Dr. Gordon. One thing’s for sure: don’t get it in your eyes. “Capsaicin oleoresin is an oily extract used in pepper self-defense sprays!” Dr. Gordon says.
You can find capsaicin treatments in your pharmacy, but some applications require a health care provider’s supervision. (Read the article for more on that.)
Have you tried capsaicin cream or spray? What was it like? Did it work?
By Leigh Ann Otte
Managing Editor
My Family Doctor Blog
[Originally posted June 1, 2010, James Hubbard’s My Family Doctor Web site.]
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