Capsaicin Pain Treatment With Cooling to Reduce Burning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The administration of capsaicin for pain relief is often accompanied by a transient burning sensation, which can be substantial for some patients, and existing methods have not adequately addressed this adverse side effect.
Innovation Solution
The use of a cooling article with a controlled temperature range (5° C. to 15° C.) applied before, during, and after capsaicin administration, optionally combined with a local anesthetic agent, to reduce the transient burning sensation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If capsaicin is administered for pain relief, then pain relief duration is improved, but transient burning sensation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies cooling to the treatment area before capsaicin administration to prevent or reduce the transient burning sensation. The cooling is performed in advance (prior to capsaicin injection) and maintained during the procedure, which is a classic preliminary action approach - preparing the system in advance to prevent harmful effects before they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cooling as an intermediary element between the capsaicin and the tissue. The cooling acts as a mediator that modifies the interaction between capsaicin and nerve endings, reducing the harmful burning sensation while allowing the therapeutic effect to proceed. This is an intermediary approach where a third element (cooling) is introduced to modify the harmful interaction.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If cooling is applied to reduce burning sensation, then transient burning sensation is reduced, but treatment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical cooling systems with simpler thermal conduction approaches. Instead of using sophisticated cryogenic equipment or complex refrigeration systems, the invention uses simple cooling packs or ice packs that rely on basic thermal conduction through the skin to achieve the desired cooling effect. This substitution of complex mechanical systems with simpler thermal approaches reduces treatment complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces or eliminates the transient burning sensation, providing extended pain relief for conditions like osteoarthritic knee joint pain and intermetatarsal neuroma, with durations up to 1 year.
Implementation Method 1
the methods utilize a cooling article, such as a material wrap cooled via a circulating fluid, to reduce the temperature of tissue to be exposed to capsaicin
Implementation Method 2
a cooling article, such as a material wrap cooled via a circulating fluid
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides methods and compositions for treatment of pain, such as joint pain, using capsaicin in a procedure that attenuates transient burning sensation experienced by patients due to capsaicin administration. The methods desirably provide relief from joint pain, such as osteoarthritic knee joint pain, for an extended duration, such as at least about 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, or 1 year. To attenuate the adverse side effect of a transient burning sensation caused by capsaicin-induced neuronal excitation, the methods utilize a cooling article, such as a material wrap cooled via a circulating fluid, to reduce the temperature of tissue to be exposed to capsaicin to within a certain range for certain durations of time, optionally in combination with administering a local anesthetic agent, resulting in the substantial reduction or even elimination of transient burning sensation caused by capsaicin.