Peppers relieve Pain

I began volunteering at a very busy physical therapy clinic last month, and applying Sombra on  patients after their treatments is one of my daily tasks.  Sombra is applied after physical therapy exercise, stretches, massages, muscle stimulation or anodyne treatments. After Sombra application, we encourage patients that they do not touch their eyes, or treated skin, because it can lead to irritation.

While learning about this cream, I read an article that explained the mechanism of how this cream relieves pain. According to (Snider, 1994), peppers contain a chemical called capsaicin which activates nerve endings in our mouth, our nerve endings then release a large amount of substance P, a neurotransmitter that takes information to the brain about pain.  Because peppers continuously activate the release of substance P, it can be depleted after a short period of time, to a point that substance P is no longer released. The lack of substance P release results in desensitization, which reduces the fire sensation that we get after eating peppers.

Similarly, the Sombra cream is made with capsaicin, which is known to decrease pain sensations.  This cream seems to be more efficient after long term application, because as mentioned previously, constant application will deplete substance P, so that the brain no longer feels pain.  The article mentions that this cream benefits people who have post-operative pain, pain from shingles, and pain as a result of injury.

(Snider, 1994) states that this cream also benefits individuals who suffer from aching joints due to arthritis, because not only does the depletion of substance P reduce pain signals in our brain, but it also reduces inflammation.  The suppression of pain and inflammation, allows patients to increase mobility after a few weeks.

Citations:
Snider, M. 1994. Taking the fire out of pain with essence of chile pepper. USA Today. http://www.oocities.org/wstarron/capsaicin2.htm

Images
2006. Brain Tumors. Huntsman Cancer Institute University of Utah. Retrieved from: http://healthcare.utah.edu/huntsmancancerinstitute/cancer-information/cancer-types-and-topics/brain-cancer.php

2015. Capsaicin. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Retrieved from: 
https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/capsaicin


Do Spicy Peppers Have Significant Health Benefits?.  SQ online: a community for UCSD biology student. Retrieved from: https://sqonline.ucsd.edu/2015/01/do-spicy-peppers-have-significant-health-benefits/