Access
This article is part of Nature's premium content.
Published online 4 October 2007 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2007.140
News
Chilli opens the door to targeted pain relief
Active chemical from peppers allows painkilling without affecting other sensations.
An anaesthetic method that kills pain without producing numbness or preventing movement has been developed.
Current local anaesthetics work by indiscriminately blocking all the channels in a nerve cell, so they can block movement and sensation as well as pain.
To read this story in full you will need to login or make a payment (see right).
Comments
Reader comments are usually moderated after posting. If you find something offensive or inappropriate, you can speed this process by clicking 'Report this comment' (or, if that doesn't work for you, email redesign@nature.com). For more controversial topics, we reserve the right to moderate before comments are published.
Does this mean my dentist will give me curry??
My understanding is that even Lidocaine only acts when it gets intracellular.In order for it to get intracellular/intrareceptor the channel has to be open.This happens when there is a stimulus.In other words the action is frequency dependent.More activity in the channel, more entry of local anesthetics and more blockade of the nerves. Chilli peppers may be used by the dentist if the tongue doesnot also get affected.The moment there is anything in the mouth there is active secretion of "juices" which spread it all around and also dilute the effect.
Please correct the spelling; it should be "chile" peppers. Chili is a stew-like dish made with spices, ground meat and beans. And there is no such thing as "chilli," with two "l"s.
The name of these peppers can be spelled differently depending on the region. It can be chile, chili or chilli, the second one being most popular.
the article looks very scientific, informative and verifiable