Medicina Tradicional y Naturopatía Clínica

Abstracto

Topical Effects of Capsicum frutescens on Hand Pain in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Case Report

Susana Seca, Liliana Geada and António S Cabrita

Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a crippling autoimmune disease that predominantly affects individuals in the prime of their lives. Patients and physicians dissatisfied with the currently therapeutic strategies are integrating the complementary and alternative medicines in the control of the disease. Given that topical treatment with Capsicum frutescens may be a new target in the control of the clinical manifestations of RA, it is our objective to evaluate the effectiveness of its application in pain, strength and health functional status. Methods/Design: A group of four patients with clinical features of a specific Traditional Chinese Medicine syndrome and RA at remission stage applied a C. frutescens prepared. We assessed the effects of the topical application in the pain, strength and the functional status. Results: The patients’ hand strength increased, with a favorable repercussion on functional capacity. Additionally, instances of self-reported pain improved. Discussion: The findings of this study suggest that C. frutescens may have favorable effects in pain relief, strength and functional status. This justifies the use of C. frutescens in future controlled placebo studies.