Posted on 04/20/2021 5:54:50 PM PDT by RC one
You’ve heard of people “drinking away their pain,” but a new study has scientifically proven that alcohol is actually an effective painkiller.
University of Greenwich’s Trevor Thompson led the review study that looked at 18 different experiments which tested the reactions of more than 400 healthy people. Their reactions were measured when exposed to controlled pain (such as heat, cold and pressure) both without alcohol and under the influence of alcohol.
Thompson concluded that there is “robust evidence that alcohol is an effective painkiller.”
“Although the finding that alcohol results in reduced pain might seem obvious to many people, results from individual studies have not actually been that consistent,” Thompson wrote in an email.
His team systematically evaluated the different results in previous studies and were able to “reliably conclude” that alcohol is an analgesic. They were also able estimate the amount of pain relief a certain dosage of alcohol provides.
For example, they found that around two pints of beer or two medium-sized glasses of wine resulted in a 24 per cent drop in pain ratings. And the higher the blood-alcohol level, the greater the pain relief (up to a blood-alcohol level of .11).
It’s still a mystery as to why alcohol produces these painkilling effects, although Thompson has a couple of ideas.
“Some have theorised that alcohol may work indirectly by reducing anxiety, which is likely to be linked to pain,” he said. “Others have suggested that the transmission of ‘pain signals’ is inhibited by the changing of activity NMDA receptors in the spinal cord.”
NMDA receptors are a protein found in nerve cells.
Researchers think that these results may shed some light on alcohol dependency for those with chronic pain.
He added that because alcohol does provide significant pain relief, it offers a “reward,” which may encourage pain sufferers to turn to the bottle since it is generally cheaper and more accessible than prescription medications.
He hopes that in the future, drug producers may be able to isolate specific compounds found in alcohol that provide the analgesic effects, without the harmful side effects of alcohol.
“The amount of alcohol consumption needed to provide any sort of sustained, long-term pain relief could lead to a range of serious health problems, and even increase the likelihood of developing a longterm persistent pain condition,” he said. “We hope than an increased awareness of this might lead to greater promotion of alternative, less harmful pain management strategies for those using alcohol as self-medication for pain.”
Yeah, I’m paying $100 for 30 ml of 50mg/ml CBD oil but I think the appropriate dose is several hundred mg, not 50 mg. It seems like it helps but I feel like it could do more with a bigger dose. But it’s so pricey. I think it definitely reduces pain though, what do you think?
Bet it warms you up too
Interesting. I need to research that some more. It makes sense though.
I am familiar with what you mean by the chiropractor "getting one back in." I would go to the chiropractor's office barely able to breathe because of the pain in my thoracic spine, and snap-crackle-pop, I walked out of his office with local soreness but with almost-pain-free motion and the ability to take pain-free breaths. Months or years later I would recreate the back problem by lifting something heavy with both arms while twisting my back.
Then for some years I settled into a routine where the pain was always there, but it never got quite bad enough for me to go back to a chiropractor.
Finally, one morning I woke up and for some reason took a very full breath, and held my breath while I did a quick, full situp. This stretched my spine over my full lungs. Besides the familiar snap-crackle-pop, I felt something rip in my back at the exact site of the pain. That hurt temporarily, but it also did something miraculous -- it eliminated the pain for good.
Sometimes solutions happen. I hope a solution happens for you.
I believe it is most effective on CNS-mediated chronic pain, of a type with heavy psychological involvement (”the more you think about it, the worse it gets”, and the pain pathway is primed and sensitized). Much less effective on acute pain like a laceration or breaking a bone. I’m sure the higher doses are more effective — I’ve seen up to 700 mg used in studies — but then you’re getting into the territory of potential liver damage if used repeatedly.
A lot of great therapies and drugs are suppressed to appease the purists.
Thanks man. The only good thing that has come out of this is that I have a new appreciation for people's complaints of pain. If I ever wind up taking care of patients again, I will definitely have a new respect for their complaints. I always took care of them even if I knew they were full of s___ but now, I don't even care if they are FOS. "here's your Dilaudid. I hope it helps.".
This topic is important I think because we conservative minded people aren't actually getting any younger. If we're going to stay in this fight, we're going to need to need analagecsics I think.
The main thing I take it for is as an anti-spasmodic. As effective as 2-5 mg diazepam. And secondarily for pain. And third, as a hypnotic drug, but the effect is subtle for me there.
I qualify for medical marihuana at this point. If this injury doesn’t get fixed pretty pronto, I’ll be looking into that as well. I’m not even 50 years old. I’m not ready to curl up and die. I’ll do whatever it takes to stay in this fight. I’m not going away.
I learned that on Gunsmoke.
My problem with THC (legal here), is that it acts as a pain reliever for first hour, and as a pain INTENSIFIER for second hour. Might be just me.
No 💩 Sherlocks.🙄
I knew a guy who was on a Soviet fishing vessel in the 80s when he came down with appendicitis. They had to operate on him getting directions via radio, and all they had was vodka for the anesthesia. Apparently it wasn’t as funny as “Mister Roberts”.
Alcohol Kills Brain Cells, But Only The Weak Ones... Welllllll... I’m getting smarter every day!
Same story, bad disc and a bottle of whiskey. Works every time.
2.2 million old TV westerns can’t be wrong...
Ruptured discs are *excruciating*.
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