Could alcohol consumption be linked to back pain?

In the 1950s, medical practitioners suggested that a glass of wine a day could be beneficial for your heart health. And around the same time, they also recommended smoking cigarettes to promote healthy stress levels.

Now, as health experts and supporting research are increasingly correlating excessive alcohol consumption to heart health risk, research also suggests a link between low back pain and alcohol intake.

A research study carried out in the US was designed to systematically seek a correlation between alcohol intake and back pain. Researchers relied on data from 26 previous studies and found a slight association between low back pain and alcohol intake.

The Laser Spine Institute also suggest that for people with pre-existing back pain, the consumption of alcohol carries a risk of increasing the pain caused by conditions such as degenerative disc disease, facet disease, herniated discs and foraminal stenosis.

Seven ways alcohol consumption may be related to back pain

• As alcohol acts as a muscle relaxant, consuming alcohol relaxes the muscles that surround the spine, leaving it without adequate support until the effects of the alcohol wear off.

• The main side effect of alcohol is the slowing of the body’s natural processes, including both circulation and respiration. And where these two systems are vital for back health, their degeneration throughout the drinking process results in an inability for your body to flush toxins from its tissues and reintroduce the nutrients required to function properly.
• Alcohol also increases the body’s acidity levels, resulting in a pH imbalance that can directly result in back pain. Other foods which increase the body’s acidity include sugar, salt, coffee, and processed foods.
• Widely recognised is that alcohol consumption is directly correlated to dehydration, which also contributes to back pain

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• Alcohol also affects your sleep cycle, reducing your ability to go into REM sleep, which is when your body repairs itself.
• Alcohol is also proven to affect your brain chemistry – and what goes on in your brain often manifests in your body. Your muscles are directly connected with your brain.

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• Alcohol can also have an affect on medication, including ant-inflammatory products such as ibuprofen.

So does that mean that alcohol is off limits?

The Heart Foundation recommends that anyone with health concerns should consult their doctor about safe level of drinking. The Foundation recommends a maximum of two standard drinks per day for men, and one standard drink per day for women, plus a few alcohol-free days per week.

If you or someone you know has a problem with alcohol abuse, see your health care professional or visit http://www.aa.org.au/

For further reading:

http://www.spineuniverse.com/conditions/back-pain/low-back-pain/does-drinking-alcohol-lead-lower-back-pain