Treatment of reflex sympathetic dystrophy with topical capsaicin. Case report.

Cheshire, William P; Snyder, Clyde R · Pain · 1990

case_report · Level V

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Abstract

A 31-year-old woman with intractable reflex sympathetic dystrophy experienced nearly complete, though temporary, resolution of pain following 3 weeks of topical capsaicin. We propose that capsaicin may be a useful treatment for reflex sympathetic dystrophy, either by depleting substance P from primary afferent neurons that mediate allodynia, or by modulating sympathetic efferent activity.

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