Treating Chronic Pain With Cayenne Pepper.
 (Read 250+ times)
By Glory Lennon
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Cayenne Pepper got its name from the indigenous people of the Caribbean who called it Kian. Botanically it is known as Capsicum Annum or Capsicum Frutedcens but commonly it is Cayenne though it is called many things besides. Hot, Louisiana Long or Short, Chili, African, Tabasco, Bird and Guinea Pepper are all names for it. In the United States Louisiana or Tabasco Pepper is grown on the Gulf Coast but most of what is used in most parts of the world comes from Africa and India.
This member of the Solanaceae family which includes potato, tomato, eggplant, tobacco and nightshade, has been used to spice up food for centuries. It is a hot spicy pepper which is usually dried in the sun and then crushed into a fine powder. This in turn is either sparingly or liberally sprinkled onto food. How much to use depends on your tolerance to spicy-hot foods. Too much of it can cause sweating, burning, watering eyes, respiratory and cardiac problems. But if used moderately there are health benefits.
Red Pepper has antibacterial properties as do many culinary herbs which help in digestion and to relieve diarrhea. It has even been shown in studies that Cayenne Pepper may in future be found to help reduce cholesterol and prevent heart related diseases. It also has been used to relieve sufferers of Shingles, the Diabetic condition known as Burning Foot Syndrome and painful Cluster headaches. As far back as the seventeenth century Red Pepper has been used to bring on uterine contractions and aid in childbirth and also to prevent pregnancy. Perhaps this is why there are some old wives’ tales that say using it on a pregnant woman’s food will bring on labor. If that is true than it may be advisable for those trying to get pregnant to eliminate this from their diet, just to be on the safe side. One French study also showed that Red Pepper boosts resistance to infection but it is not recommended that you sprinkle Cayenne Pepper onto cuts as it likely would hurt more than the original wound. Back in the day people used to sprinkle hot pepper into their socks during winter to keep their feet warm, too.
What makes Red Pepper extremely valuable as a medicinal herb, besides all these other things, is its use in treating chronic pain. Herbalists have known for hundreds of years that rubbing Cayenne Pepper onto the skin can relieve pain from sore muscles and stiff joints. They call this the Counter-irritant effect. The heat from the Red Pepper will seep into the skin to somewhat numb the pain caused by arthritis. This analgesic characteristic of Red Pepper comes from a chemical within it called Capsaicin. Capsaicin interrupts the pain receptors by attacking “Substance P” the chemical within the nerves which signals pain to the brain. There are several over-the-counter medications with Capsaicin clearly marked as a main ingredient. Yes, it’s truly that effective.
If you would like to make your own natural chronic pain reliever, you can start by growing your own Red Peppers or buying them at a farmer’s market. Once they are ripe you need to dry them then crush them into a powder. A half teaspoon of Red Pepper powder dissolved into a cup of warm vegetable or mineral oil makes a good rub for affected areas. The great thing about making this yourself is the control you have in making the heat rub cooler by using less Cayenne Pepper or hotter by adding more. Be very careful in handling the peppers when fresh or dried, however. The oils within it stays on the hands long after you are no longer touching it. Vinegar helps to remove it better than soap. Make certain to wear gloves when preparing the peppers, chopping them or even stinging them onto wire to hang to dry. Get it once in your eye and you’ll understand what that means. Ouch!
Certainly you’ll find at least a bit of relief from Chronic pain when using this wonderful natural pain reliever known as Cayenne or Red Pepper and strangely enough, it’s good on tacos too.
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Author Bio Box: Glory Lennon
 visit http://www.helium.com/user/32782 for more amazing garden lessons, cute short stories and funny novel excerpts.
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