Everything You Need To Know About Chillies And Migraine

In an informal study conducted in 1995, the Nutritional Research Foundation in Wisconsin had 576 volunteers take chilli powder capsules on a daily basis throughout a six week program. The daily program also involved drinking 8-10 glasses of water, eating whole-grain bread, avoid dairy wherever possible, and consume 10 grams of flax.

Out of the 22 people in the program who experienced migraines, 100% reported a definite improvement (lessening of frequency and severity) and 9% reported complete relief from migraines.

From what I have read about the subject, it is unlikely that sufficient capsaicin is absorbed into the body from taking capsules. It pretty much all gets processed out in the liver. Therefore I do not believe that the relief is caused by capsaicin depleting the relevent nerves of substance P and thereby blocking the pain signals (see our arthritis page for greater detail on this process).

We believe the benefits come from the dilation of the veins and subsequent increased blood flow that results from the consumption of capsaicin (as discussed in our fatigue page ).

Rub It In

Capsaicin does work well in topical creams, i.e. creams rubbed onto the area where the pain exists. The capsaicin does penetrate to the area of inflammation and pain and work as a pain management tool. So for migraines you would tend to apply the cream to your temples and base of the neck to increase blood flow to the area.

There are a number of commercially available creams containing capsaicin in varying amounts, many of them containing Glucosamine Sulfate as well. Bio-Organics Glucosamine Rapid and Cenovis Osteo-Relief are a couple of examples from the larger players in Australia.

The creams come in a range of strengths, usually from 0.25% to 0.75% capsaicin, and doctors suggest you begin with the lower concentrations and work you way up. This is primarily because many people also get a burning sensation on the skin in the area in which the cream is applied. As a result, many people stop using it, however, if you persevere the sensation will disappear after a few days. Once you are used to the low level cream, increase the strength to get a greater effect.

You may also wish to wear gloves when applying the cream to avoid the effects on your hands and accidently rubbing it in your eye later on.

Up Your Nose

There is preliminary evidence that capsaicin can be applied inside the nose as a treatment for acute migraine. However, as intranasal application of capsaicin produces a burning sensation, it should be used only under the supervision of a doctor familiar with its use. Investigations into this technique are still ongoing as far as we can ascertain.


As with everything else we discuss under this Chillies & Your Health section, please consult with your medical advisor before using any sort of new treatment.