Pharmacological Heat/ Active Ingredient Capsicum

Capsicum has a long tradition as a powerful, active ingredient in medicine. It derives its name from the Greek “to bite”, referring to the hot properties of the fruits and seeds. Other more popular names for capsicum are: cayenne pepper, chilli pepper or Spanish pepper. Capsicum is cultivated in all the warmer regions of the world and harvested when completely ripe and dried. The fruits containing the highest amount of specific hard substances (Capsicum fructus acer and Capsicum anuum) are used for medical purposes.

The dried capsicum fruit is a powerful local stimulant and when used externally, it is a strong rubefacient that stimulates the blood flow and directly affects pain receptors and pain perception. Painful muscles spasms e.g. in the area of back, shoulder and neck are relieved.

How pain is perceived

a) Decreased blood flow in tight muscle tissue leads to decreased supply with oxygen and nutrients and to an increase in metabolic by-products.

b) This stimulates the nerve cells to send messages to the spinal cord and subsequently to the brain. The transmission of pain stimuli is carried out by neurotransmitters, in particular Substance P.

c) Once perceived in the brain, pain leads to various physical reactions such as muscle contraction which worsens the pain.

How pain is perceived

How pain is alleviated

         Elastoplast Capsaicin Heat Patch

• The active ingredient Capsicum relaxes the muscles by increasing the blood flow, increasing the transport of oxygen and nutrients to the cells and accelerating removal of metabolic by-products.
• It also acts as an efficacious pain blocker due to depleting and preventing re-accumulation of the neurotransmitter Substance P.

Pain transmission

Pain blocking

Clinical proof for pain relieving action of capsaicin

The need for safe and effective self-medication in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain is obvious especially in view of oral and systemic analgesics, which are criticized for their potential side effects.

Until today treatment with hot peppers or its active compound capsaicin is widely used in medicine. Clinical studies and scientific publications show the efficacy in musculoskeletal disorders and the treatment of neuropathy and pruritus.

Clinical proof for the pain relieving action of Elastoplast capsicum products could be shown with large randomized, placebo controlled clinical studies.