Got carpal tunnel syndrome? Try a Szechuan pepper. It may sound bizarre but when researchers rubbed pepper extract on the lips of volunteers, almost none of them could tell whether they were eating peppers or experiencing mechanical stimulation. Munching on a Chinese peppercorn felt the same as did pressing a vibrator to their lips.
Hot Chilies for Carpal Tunnel
1 min read Premium comments
Secondary
Scientists at University College London (UCL), one of the United Kingdom’s top universities, believe this phenomenon may lead to new ways of reducing the pain of conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome.
Szechuan peppercorn is unique in producing the sensation of vibration on the lips. But the researchers discovered that the stimuli caused by chemicals in the pepper have the same effect on the human brain as does actual touch.
The peppers are not spicy but they cause a sensation of about 50 taps per second which may be brought about by an active ingredient called sanshool.
The scientists now believe that their findings could be used to find treatments for people with nerve-related chronic pain like carpal tunnel syndrome or diabetic neuropathy.
Tom Mendelsohn, a writer for The Independent, reported that the lead author of the study, Nobuhiro Hagura, and hs colleagues wanted to see whether human ‘light-touch’ nerve fibers were activated in the same way by the peppers as they are through mechanical stimulation.
They tested how participants reacted to Szechuan peppers, alcohol, water and vibrators applied to their lower lips. Most struggled to tell the difference in sensation between peppers and vibrators.
“We knew from studies in animals that the active ingredient in Szechuan pepper selectively activates the light touch fibers, ” said Hagura. “This made us interested in whether this unusual way of activating light touch fibers actually produces a conscious sensation of touch.”
“Tingling sensations occur in many chronic pain conditions, but remain poorly understood, ” he said. “We hope that laboratory studies of the tingling sensations caused by sanshool could help to clarify the brain processes underlying these sensations, and how they are related to pain.”
React:
Discussion
This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
Join the conversation
Orthopedic professionals are discussing this. Sign in and upgrade to read every comment and add your voice.