How do things like Tiger Balm and Capsaicin Creme work? How do they stop pain? Do they just mask the pain by overwhelming your nerves?
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you know when you accidentally touch something really hot or really cold, and you can really feel it? That’s because you have special parts on your skin that can sense temperature. Now imagine you touch something really cold and then someone pokes you softly. You might not even notice the poke because the cold feeling is so strong. That’s kind of how things like Tiger Balm and Capsaicin Cream work. They don’t actually stop the thing that’s causing the pain. Instead, they make your skin feel hot or cold, which distracts your body from the other pain you’re feeling. It’s like when you scrape your knee and your mom gives you a lollipop. The lollipop doesn’t actually make your knee better, but it distracts you and makes you feel better anyway.
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