Mar 27
An anaesthetic method that kills pain without producing numbness or preventing movement has been developed. Current local anesthetics work by indiscriminately blocking all the channels in a nerve cell, so they can block movement and sensation as well as pain.Capsaicin is already in use as a painkiller for conditions where pain fibres are overactive. Applying it over stimulates the nerve endings and de-sensitises them, persuading them to stop overreacting.