For over 9,000 years the Native Americans have used cayenne, or red pepper, for food and medicine. The  spicy taste of cayenne pepper comes from a pain relieving substance known as capsaicin. Other cultures such as traditional Indian Ayurvedic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, used cayenne in medicines as an oral remedy for:

 

 -stomach problem

 -poor appetite

 -circulatory problems

 

It has also been applied to the skin for arthritis and muscle pain.

 

Capsaicin works by inhibiting Substance P, which is associated with inflammatory processes. Substance P, a neuropeptide, is the key transmitter of pain to the brain. Substance P can cause swelling of nerve fibers, which may result in headaches and sinus symptoms.

 

Capsaicin works by first stimulating and then decreasing the intensity of pain signals in the body. Although pain may at first increase, it usually decreases after the first use. Capsaicin stimulates the release of a compound believed to be involved in communicating pain between the nerves in the spinal cord and other parts of the body.