Pain balms
How do pain balms relieve pain?
R. SHANMUGASUNDARAM
Chennai
Pain is a sensation, which is mediated through several receptors on the target organ.
For example, bare nerve endings, end bulbs of Krouse, Pacinian carpuscles etc, are responsible for mediating the pain to the central nervous system.
When these receptors are stimulated by various metabolic chemicals, like Substance P, and metabolic acids around they send signal of pain sensation across the spinal cord, through substantia gelatinosa (a receptor system) to the brain, which is perceived in thalamus as a crude sensation, further propagated to the sensory cortex to know the quality of pain, whether it is pin prick, or burning pain etc.
The fundamental origins of pain in any region are the receptors of pain. There are certain pains which are highly pleasurable.
This type of pleasurable pain is modulated by the pain balms, which actually mask the underlying pain. The pain balms do contain substances called thymol, menthol, eucalytpus oil, and mainly methyl salcyclate(oil of winter green), which are irritant amalgamations.
These amalgamations irritate the pain nerve endings, and cause a pleasurable pain which is appreciated by our brain as pleasant one.
In this super pleasurable pain, the underlying pain gets masked. Once the effect of these irritants goes away, the pain may appear or be perceived again.
Dr. V. NAGARAJAN
Professor Emeritus in Neurosciences,
Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University
Madurai, Tamil Nadu
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