Cayenne Pepper and Migraine Pain Relief

Next time you feel a migraine coming on, reach for the spice cabinet instead of the medicine cabinet. Capsaicin, the pungent resin found in cayenne pepper, has been studied and proven as an effective pain reliever for migraine pain. Eating your way to being pain free is not the answer though; the nose knows… A study cited in the British Journal of Anaesthesia found migraine sufferers to have a positive outcome when given intranasal capsaicin. The study was conducted with sufferers of chronic, or transformed migraines. Transformed migraines are by definition headaches of increasing frequency that occur until the migraine is permanent and with frequent exacerbations of one to two migraines per week. In the double blind study, patients were divided up into two groups; a capsaicin receiving group and a placebo group. Capsaicin was given into the nostril on the same side as the migraine in the capsaicin group.

Results:

Patients receiving capsaicin showed a significantly lower amount of pain than the patients recieving the placebo.

While the migraine sufferers in the study did complain about the burning to the nostril caused by the application of capsaicin, the pain was not bad enough to have them discontinue the study and the benefits of the capsaicin far outweighed the uncomfortable side effects.

The pain relief mechanism achieved by the use of intranasal capsaicin comes from the depletion of a chemical in the body called substance P. This chemical, called a neurotransmitter, carries pain sensations from the nerves to the brain during a migraine. Capsaicin stops the transmission process substance P performs thus putting an end to the pain messages received by the brain during a migraine.

If you suffer from chronic or transformed migraines, Eric Yarnell, ND, assistant professor, department of botanical medicine, Bastyr University, suggests trying this pain relieving technique at home:

• Dissolve 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder (the kind you cook with) into 4 ounces warm water.
• Use a cotton swab to dip into the solution and apply into the nostril (on the affected side or both sides, if needed).
• The burning may be uncomfortable, but, by the time the burning stops, your migraine pain may be gone or significantly reduced.

Remember, as with all home remedies and treatments, check with your physician before beginning capsaicin therapy.

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