Joana Tenreiro Pinto1, Frederico C Pereira2,3, Maria C Loureiro1, Ricardo Gama4, Hugo L Fernandes5. 1. Department of Anesthesiology, Centro Hospitalar Tondela, Viseu, Portugal. 2. Laboratory of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics/Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (IBILI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. 3. Center of Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC) and CNC.IBILI Research Consortium, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. 4. School of Technology and Management of Lamego, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Viseu, Portugal. 5. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University, Sensory Motor Performance Program, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Several guidelines for neuropathic pain management and various effective drugs are available; however, neuropathic pain remains undertreated. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of topical capsaicin 8% in peripheral neuropathic pain in a routine clinical setting. METHODS: Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated through pain intensity, using numerical pain rating scale at baseline and 7-14 days after each treatment, and using pain treatment area (PTA) assessed immediately before each treatment. RESULTS: A total of 43 patients with either post-herpetic neuralgia or post-traumatic/post-surgical neuropathic pain were enrolled. The median percentage reduction in numerical pain rating scale score and in PTA was -40.0 (-50.0 to -33.3; 95% CI, bootstrap) and -35.1 (-50.9 to 3.4; 95% CI, bootstrap), respectively. Pain intensity and PTA were equally improved and reduced in both treated conditions. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that topical capsaicin 8% reduces peripheral neuropathic pain as well as treatment pain area.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Several guidelines for neuropathic pain management and various effective drugs are available; however, neuropathic pain remains undertreated. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of topical capsaicin 8% in peripheral neuropathic pain in a routine clinical setting. METHODS: Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated through pain intensity, using numerical pain rating scale at baseline and 7-14 days after each treatment, and using pain treatment area (PTA) assessed immediately before each treatment. RESULTS: A total of 43 patients with either post-herpetic neuralgia or post-traumatic/post-surgical neuropathic pain were enrolled. The median percentage reduction in numerical pain rating scale score and in PTA was -40.0 (-50.0 to -33.3; 95% CI, bootstrap) and -35.1 (-50.9 to 3.4; 95% CI, bootstrap), respectively. Pain intensity and PTA were equally improved and reduced in both treated conditions. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that topical capsaicin 8% reduces peripheral neuropathic pain as well as treatment pain area.