counterirritant

The counterirritant capsaicin cream is oddly helpful too, replacing that gnawing ache with a superficial burn that is far easier to ignore.

Menthol is a counterirritant, which relieves underlying pain near the site of application by causing irritation at the surface.

Most people apply the counterirritant to the injured muscle, tendon or bone, but it would be just as effective if placed on a noninjured area. “tommyoctober” commenting at www.ScientificAmerican.com/Mind Attention to Detail In addition to being a psychotherapist, I’m also an editor and proofreader.

Ed says his father, out of desperation, tried the suggested cure, and it worked, in a way squaring with the modern medical theory of setting up a counterirritant in certain cases.

Since then I have often wondered why the American press never reported on this Oriental medical treatment, called "counterirritant."