Evidence map›Paper›PMID 15033881›Full record

SynthesisBMJ (Clinical research ed.)2004

Systematic review of topical capsaicin for the treatment of chronic pain.

Lorna Mason, R Andrew Moore, Sheena Derry, Jayne E Edwards, Henry J McQuay

Open access · bronzeAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2004. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 107 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
107citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
7.3field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

107 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 456 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Guideline
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Neuromodulators for pain management in rheumatoid arthritis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2012
    Pooled it
  5. Topical capsaicin for chronic neuropathic pain in adults.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2009
    Pooled it
  6. Topical rubefacients for acute and chronic pain in adults.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2009
    Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Guideline
  9. Pooled it
  10. Trial
  11. Trial
  12. Trial
  13. Trial
  14. Trial
  15. Trial
  16. Trial
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Effects of Oral Topical Capsaicin Gel on Taste Perception in Healthy Subjects: A Pilot Study.Journal of oral pathology & medicine : official publication of the International Association of Oral Pathologists and the American Academy of Oral Pathology · 2025
    Article

47 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Lorna MasonPain Research and Nuffield Department of Anaesthetics, University of Oxford, Oxford Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LJ.
R Andrew Moore
Sheena Derry
Jayne E Edwards
Henry J McQuay
University of Oxford · GBJohn Radcliffe Hospital · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo determine the efficacy and safety of topically applied capsaicin for chronic pain from neuropathic or musculoskeletal disorders. DATA SOURCES: Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, PubMed, an in-house database, and contact with manufacturers of topical capsaicin. STUDY SELECTION: Randomised controlled trials comparing topically applied capsaicin with placebo or another treatment in adults with chronic pain. DATA EXTRACTION: Primary outcome was dichotomous information for the number of patients with about a 50% reduction in pain. Outcomes were extracted at four weeks for musculoskeletal conditions and eight weeks for neuropathic conditions. Secondary outcomes were adverse events and withdrawals due to adverse events. DATA SYNTHESIS: Six double blind placebo controlled trials (656 patients) were pooled for analysis of neuropathic conditions. The relative benefit from topical capsaicin 0.075% compared with placebo was 1.4 (95% confidence interval 1.2 to 1.7) and the number needed to treat was 5.7 (4.0 to 10.0). Three double blind placebo controlled trials (368 patients) were pooled for analysis of musculoskeletal conditions. The relative benefit from topical capsaicin 0.025% or plaster compared with placebo was 1.5 (1.1 to 2.0) and the number needed to treat was 8.1 (4.6 to 34). Around one third of patients experienced local adverse events with capsaicin, which would not have been the case with placebo.

conclusionsAlthough topically applied capsaicin has moderate to poor efficacy in the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal or neuropathic pain, it may be useful as an adjunct or sole therapy for a small number of patients who are unresponsive to, or intolerant of, other treatments.

Indexed as

Administration, TopicalAnalgesicsCapsaicinChronic DiseaseHumansMusculoskeletal DiseasesNeuralgiaPainPain MeasurementRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeAnalgesicsCapsaicin

Identifiers

PMID15033881
PMCPMC404499
OpenAlexW2168209429

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.