Below is a list of the uses and effects of capsaicin that have been clinically studied:

• Analgesia

            1) Menendez, L, A Lastra, A Hidalgo, & A Baamonde.  "The analgesic effect of capsaicin is enhanced in inflammatory states."  Life Sci.  2004 May 14;74(26):3235-44.

            2) Sawynok, J, A Reid, & J Meisner.  "Pain behaviors produced by capsaicin: influence of inflammatory mediators and nerve injury"  Pain.  2006 Feb;7(2):134-41.

• Allergy & Immunology

            1) Taylor-Clark, TE, M Kollarik, DW MacGlashan Jr, & BJ Undem.  "Nasal sensory nerve populations responding to histamine and capsaicin."  J Allergy Clin Immunol.  2005 Dec;116(6)1282-8.

• Postherpetic neuralgia

            1) Watson, CP, RJ Evans, & VR Watt. "Post-herpetic neuralgia and topical capsaicin."  Pain.  1988;33:333-340.
            2) Watson CP, KL Tyler, & DR Bickers et al. "A randomized vehicle-controlled trial of topical capsaicin in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia." Clin Ther. 1993;15:510-526.
            3) Alper BS, PR Lewis. "Treatment of postherpetic neuralgia: a systematic review of the literature."  J Fam Pract.  2002;51:121-128.

            4) Johnson, RW & TL Whitton.  "Management of herpes zoster (shingles) and postherpetic neuralgia."  Expert Opin Pharmacother.  2004;5(3): 551-9.

• Diabetic neuropathy

            1) Low, PA, TL Opfer-Gehrking, & PJ Dyck et al. "Double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the application of capsaicin cream in chronic distal painful polyneuropathy."  Pain.  1995;62:163-168.
            2) Biesbroeck, R, V Bril, & P Hollander et al. "A double-blind comparison of topical capsaicin and oral amitriptyline in painful diabetic neuropathy."  Adv Ther.  1995;12:111-120.
            3) The Capsaicin Study Group. "Effect of treatment with capsaicin on daily activities of patients with painful diabetic neuropathy."  Diabetes Care.  1992;15:159-165.
            4) Tandan, R, GA Lewis, PB Krusinski, GB Badger, & TJ Fries. "Related Articles Topical capsaicin in painful diabetic neuropathy.  Controlled study with long-term follow-up."  Diabetes Care.  1992;15:8-14.
            5) The Capsaicin Study Group. "Treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy with topical capsaicin. A multicenter, double-blind, vehicle-controlled study."  Arch Intern Med.  1991;151:2225-2229.
            6) Scheffler, NM, PL Sheitel, & MN Lipton. "Related Articles: Treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy with capsaicin 0.075%."  J Am Podiatr Med Assoc.  1991; 81:288-293.
            7) Jensen, PG, & JR Larson. "Management of painful diabetic neuropathy."  Drugs Aging.  2001;18:737-749.

• Post-surgical cancer pain

            1) Ellison, N, CL Loprinzi, & J Kugler et al.  "Phase III placebo-controlled trial of capsaicin cream in the management of surgical neuropathic pain in cancer patients."  J Clin Oncol.  1997;15:2974-2980.
            2) Dini, D, G Bertelli, & A Gozza et al. Treatment of the post-mastectomy pain syndrome with topical capsaicin.  Pain.  1993;54:223-226.
            3) Watson, CP, RJ Evans. "The postmastectomy pain syndrome and topical capsaicin: a randomized trial."  Pain.  1992;51:375-379.
            4) Watson, CP, RJ Evans, & VR Watt et al. "The post-mastectomy pain syndrome and the effect of topical capsaicin."  Pain.  1989;38:177-186.

• Arthritis

            1) Deal, CL, TJ Schnitzer, & E Lipstein et al. "Treatment of arthritis with topical capsaicin: A double blind trial."  Clin Ther.  1991;13:383-395.
            2) McCarthy, GM, & DJ McCarty.  "Effect of topical capsaicin in the therapy of painful osteoarthritis of the hands."  J Rheumatol.  1992;19:604-607.
            3) Todd, C.  "Meeting the therapeutic challenge of the patient with osteoarthritis."  J Am Pharm Assoc (Wash).  2002;42:74-82.

• Fibromyalgia

            1) McCarty, DJ, & M Csuka et al.  "Treatment of pain due to fibromyalgia with topical capsaicin: A pilot study."  Semin Arthritis Rheum.   1994;23(suppl 3):41-47.

• Cluster headaches

            1) Marks, DR, A Rapoport A, & D Padla et al.  "A double-blind placebo-controlled trial of intranasal capsaicin for cluster headache."  Cephalalgia.  1993;13:114-116.

• Dyspepsia/Non-erosive Reflux Disease

            1) Rodriguez-Stanley, S, KL Collings, & M Robinson et al.  "The effects of capsaicin on reflux, gastric emptying and dyspepsia."  Aliment Pharmacol Ther.  2000;14:129-134.
            2) Bortolotti, M, G Coccia, & G Grossi et al.  "The treatment of functional dyspepsia with red pepper."  Aliment Pharmacol Ther.  2002;16:1075-1082.

            3) Bhat, Y, & K Bielefeldt.  "Capsaicin receptor (TRPV1) and non-erosive reflux disease." Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol.  2006;18:263-70.

• Gastric Cancer

            1) Lo, YC et al.  "Capsaicin-induced cell death in a human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line."  World J Gastroenterol.  2005 Oct 28;11(40):6254-7.

• Fungal Infections

         1) Renault, S et al.  "CAY 1: a novel antifungal compound."  Med-Myed.  2003 Feb 41 (1): 75 - 81.

• Dermatologic Conditions

            1) Bernstein, JE, LC Parish, & M Rapaport et al.  "Effects of topically applied capsaicin on moderate and severe psoriasis vulgaris."  J Am Acad Dermatol. 1986;15:504-507.

            2) Ellis, CN, B Berberian, & VI Sulica et al.  "A double-blind evaluation of topical capsaicin in pruritic psoriasis."  J Am Acad Dermatol.  1993;29:438-442.

            3) Yosipovitch, G et al.  "Topical capsaicin for the treatment of acute lipodermatosclerosis and lobular panniculitis."  J Dermatolog Treat.  2005 Aug;16(3):178-80.

• Basic Sciences

            1) "Effects of bradykinin and capsaicin injections into feline M. gastrocnemius-soleus on stretch-evoked postsynaptic response in homosynaptic motor neurons."  Fiziol Zh.  2005;51(6):30-6.

            2) Aita, M, T Maeda, R Takagi, & K Seo.  "Postnatal development of substance P-immunoreaction in the trigeminal caudalis of neonatally capsaicin-treated mice."  Arch Histol Cytol.  2005 Dec;68(4)311-20.

            3) Jin, HW, H Ichikawa, K Nomura, K Mukae, R Terayama, T Yamaii, & T Sugimoto.  "Activation of the caspase cascade underlies the rat trigeminal primary apoptosis iduced by neonatal capsaicin administration."  Arch Histol Cytol.  2005 Dec;68(4):301-10.

            4) Drewa, T et al.  "The influence of ambroxol and capsaicin on the isolated rabbit bladder wall."  Acta Pol Pharm.  2005 Sept-Oct;62(5):399-403.

            5) Turchanyi, B, J Hamar, T Tombol, & L Siklos.  "Capsaicin delays regeneration of the neuromuscular junction of rat extensor digitorum longus muscle after ischemia."  Muscle Nerve.  2006 Jan 3.

            6) Fujimoto, S, M Mori, H Tsushima, & M Kunimatsu.  "Capsaicin-induced, capsazepine-insensitive relaxation of the guinea-pig ileum."  Eur J Pharmacol.  2006 Jan 13;530(1-2):144-51.

            7) Kozukue, N et al.  "Analysis of eight capsaicinoids in pepers and pepper-containing foods by high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry."  J Agric Food Chem.  2005 Nov 16;53(23):9172-81.

            8) "Capsaicin differentially modulates voltage-activated calcium channel currents in dorsal root ganglion neurons of rats."  Brain Res.  2005 Nov 16;1062(1-2):74-85.

            9) McGaraughty, S et al.  "Capsaicin infused into the PAG affects rat tail flick responses to noxious heat and alters neuronal firing in the RVM."  J Neurophysiol.  2003 Oct;90(4):2702-10.

            10) Nelson, AJ et al.  "Capsaicin-based analgesic balm decreases pressor responses evoked by muscle afferents."  Med Sci Sports Exerc.  2004 Mar;36(3):444-50.