http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20060828/sc_space/ancientmintypainkill
erworkedmodernstudysuggests

The doctors of ancient Greece and China had it right when they applied
cool and minty salves to soothe aches and pains, a new study suggests.


A synthetic treatment with the same properties as mint oil is an
effective painkiller when applied directly to the skin. The new cooling
compounds could be especially beneficial to millions suffering with the
chronic pain of arthritis and diseases affecting nerve endings, scientists
say.


"They work particularly well in ongoing pain states where the nervous
system becomes hypersensitive so even the lightest touch becomes
painful," said study leader Susan Fleetwood-Walker, a professor of
neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh.


Ancient smarts


Healers in ancient Chinese societies treated injuries with mint oil, which
contains anti-inflammatory properties and produces a cooling effect on
the skin.


Cold compresses were also recommended in the fifth century BC by
Hippocrates, who is considered the father of modern medicine. Swelling
and joint pain could be eased by the numbing effect of copious amounts
of cold water, the ancient Greek scholar said.


The new compounds use the same soothing chemicals found in mint oil,
but incorporate a few other important elements that work specifically
with a pain receptor nerve in the skin called TRTM8, newly discovered
by Fleetwood-Walker and her team.


"Chemicals in mint oil and cooling the skin can activate these painkilling
nerves but neither traditional method is very specific," she told
LiveScience. "We have shown that the TRTM8 receptor is the critical
molecular target for this pain killing effect."


Special analgesic ingredients in the compounds—telling the receptor to
turn off pain messages going to the brain—make them even more
effective, the results showed.


Fewer side-effects


The minty formula offers significant advantages versus some other pain
medications, which do not always work on sufferers of long-term pain,
say the researchers.


"Some types of chronic pain, especially following nerve injury, are
resistant to morphine," Fleetwood-Walker said. "These compounds act
powerfully as pain killers on many types of chronic pain including nerve
injury pain."


Because the compounds are applied externally, they should also come
with a shorter list of potential adverse reactions, she said. "They seem
to be just as powerful as morphine, but work through an entirely
separate mechanism, with what we think will be less side effects.


"The findings appear in an August issue of the journal Current Biology.

The Pain Truth: How and Why We Hurt
Chronic Pain Shrinks People's Brains
Discovery Offers Hope to Chronic Pain Sufferers
Maggots and Leeches: Old Medicine is New
Original Story: Ancient Minty Painkiller Worked, Modern Study Suggests

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