Acupuncture combined with pharmaceutical agents has been used to treat diseases in humans and
animals. Capsaicin can relieve pain by desensitization. The present study was conducted to determine whether capsaicin
acupuncture as one of pharmaceutical acupunctures can relieve neuropathic pain effectively. 14 days after neuropathic
injury, capsaicin was injected at Zusanli acupoint (ST36) and behavioral test was conducted using von Frey filament.
After behavioral test, animals were perfused by 4% paraformaldehyde solution. The lumbar spinal cord was then
removed and immunohistochemistry was performed to observe c-Fos expression. Capsaicin injected at ST36 acupoint
inhibited neuropathic pain behaviors. c-Fos expression level in the lumbar spinal cord had a tendency to decrease in rats
treated with capsaicin acupuncture. These results suggest that capsaicin acupuncture as one of pharmaceutical
acupunctures may be effective in relieving neuropathic pain.