Replacing Benzocaine with Clove Gel: A Natural Approach to Topical Anesthesia

Posted on: Tuesday, April 9th 2024 at 3:00 am

Written By: 

GreenMedInfo Research Group

A simple gel made from a common kitchen spice could revolutionize the way we manage pain by displacing the need for a common anesthetic drug, according to a groundbreaking new study

A randomized controlled trial compared the effectiveness of a homemade clove gel to benzocaine 20% gel as topical anesthetics before needle injections. The study found that clove gel was as effective as benzocaine in reducing pain, suggesting that this natural herb could be a viable alternative to synthetic topical anesthetics.

Nature's Answer to Pain-Free Injections: Clove Oil as a Topical Anesthetic

For many people, the prospect of getting a needle injection can be daunting, especially when considering the pain that often accompanies the procedure. Traditionally, healthcare providers have relied on synthetic topical anesthetics like benzocaine to minimize this discomfort. However, a recent study by Alqareer, Alyahya, and Andersson has shed light on a natural alternative that may be just as effective: clove oil.1

The randomized, subject-blinded study compared the pain-reducing effects of a clove-based gel to those of benzocaine 20% gel, a commonly used topical anesthetic. The researchers also included two placebo gels, one resembling clove and the other resembling benzocaine, to ensure the validity of their findings.1

Study Design and Methods

The study involved 73 adult volunteers who received topical applications of the four different gels on their maxillary canine buccal mucosa (the gum tissue near the upper canine tooth). The gels were applied in a randomized order, and each participant was unaware of which gel they received at any given time. After 5 minutes of gel application, the participants received two needle sticks in the treated area. They then rated their pain experience using a 100 mm visual analogue pain scale, where 0 indicated no pain and 100 represented the worst pain imaginable.1

Results and Implications

Upon analyzing the data, the researchers found that both the clove gel and benzocaine gel resulted in significantly lower mean pain scores compared to the placebos (p=0.005). Remarkably, there was no significant difference in pain scores between the clove and benzocaine gels, suggesting that the natural clove gel was as effective as the synthetic benzocaine in reducing needle injection pain.1

These findings have significant implications for the field of natural healing and pain management. Clove oil, derived from the aromatic flower buds of the clove tree (Syzygium aromaticum), has been used for centuries in traditional medicine for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties.2 The active ingredient in clove oil, eugenol, has been shown to have pain-relieving effects by inhibiting the transmission of pain signals through the nervous system.3

The fact that a homemade clove gel was able to perform as well as a commercially available benzocaine gel in this study highlights the potential for natural remedies to replace synthetic drugs in certain medical applications. This is particularly important given the growing concern over the potential side effects and allergic reactions associated with synthetic anesthetics like benzocaine.4

To learn about other therapeutic properties of clove, visit our database on the subject here.

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References

1. Alqareer, Athbi, Asma Alyahya, and Lars Andersson. "The Effect of Clove and Benzocaine versus Placebo as Topical Anesthetics." Journal of Dentistry 34, no. 10 (November 2006): 747-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2006.01.009.

2. Cortés-Rojas, Diego Francisco, Claudia Regina Fernandes de Souza, and Wanderley Pereira Oliveira. "Clove (Syzygium Aromaticum): A Precious Spice." Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine 4, no. 2 (February 2014): 90-96. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2221-1691(14)60215-X.

3. Halder, Sumita, Shailendra Mehta, Prashant K. Mediratta, and Krishna K. Sharma. "Essential Oil of Clove (Eugenia Caryophyllata) Augments the Humoral Immune Response but Decreases Cell Mediated Immunity." Phytotherapy Research 25, no. 8 (August 2011): 1254-56. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.3412.

4. Triana, Jorge, Tanya Singh, and Gerhard Grünwald. "Benzocaine." In StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, 2022. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539881/.