Formic acid (Acidum formicicum)

Formic acid has a locally irritating, "distracting" effect.

When exposed to healthy areas of skin that have conjugated innervation with the affected organs or tissues, formic acid renders distracting action, reducing pain. The distraction effect is explained by the interaction of the excitation entering the CNS from the affected organs and the excitation coming from the sensitive receptors of the skin located above these organs (the segmental structure of the body) when irritants act on them. This reduces the perception of afferent impulses from pathologically altered organs and tissues.

When formic acid is used, the trophism of organs and tissues involved in the pathological process also improves. The trophic action of irritating substances is explained by the fact that when the sensitive receptors of the skin are excited, sympathetic innervation of the affected organs and tissues is activated. It is believed that the excitation spreads from the skin receptors to the affected organs through branching of postganglionic sympathetic fibers as an axon reflex (bypassing the central nervous system).The trophic effect can also be achieved by the usual skin-visceral reflex (through the CNS).

With skin irritation, the release of biologically active substances (histamine, bradykinin and others) can have a positive effect.