Some time ago, I wrote about the connection between smoking and back pain (you can click the link to find out more about this connection), and today I`ve decided to address another bad habit – drinking alcohol – and determine whether there is a connection.
When talking about alcohol and back pain, I`m sure many of you will immediately think of falling when drunk and hurting your back, but we are not going to talk about that specific type of back pain, not for now at least.
Alcohol
Of course, we all know what it is, but I wanted to touch it briefly. Whether we wanted to accept it or not, it is a drug. It can be classified as a depressant as it slows down vital functions of our body.
We can divide alcohol usage into several stages, depending on the amount and its effect:
- Stimulant effect – When we drink “only” a glass or two, and loosen up
- Depressant effect – When we drink more than we can handle and start loosing coordination and control.
- Severe depressant effect – Causing inability to feel pain, vomiting, coma and, in severe cases, even death
Fun Facts
Since the tone of this post went more “darker” than I originally planned, I wanted to lighten you up with some fun alcohol facts:
- The US national anthem “The Star Spangled Banner,” was written to the tune on a drinking song
- Adolf Hitler was one of the most famous abstainers from alcohol (believe it or not)
- Winston Churchill, on the other hand, was one of the world`s heaviest drinkers
- The oldest recipe in the world was for a beer
(Source: Curious Read)
Back Pain
OK, let`s get back on track here and talk about the connection between back pain and alcohol! Before I go on, I feel the need to point out that there was still no serious research done in an effort to determine the the link between alcohol and back pain.
Light Consumption
I`m sure you know this already, but it diesn`t hurt to say it again – a moderate intake may provide you with various health benefits, such as:
- Lowering the heard disease risk
- Thinning the blood and reducing the risk of stroke
- Improving body`s sensitivity to insulin
- Lowering the risk of dementia etc.
Heavy Consumption
Heavy alcoholism is linked to a wide range of disorders including
- Liver disorders
- Neurological disorders
- Erectile dysfunction
- Cardiovascular problems
- Gastrointestinal problems etc.
Final Verdict
Though there are no concrete, there are various claims suggesting that excessive use of alcohol plays an important role in developing of back pain. The logic behind this is that it will eventually cause a loss in the bone mass and density and cause problems with your back, and other joints of your body.
It can also be, indirectly, linked to some pain conditions such as arthritis, spinal stenosis, scoliosis and/or ankylosing spondylitis.
Bottom line is this – there evidence supporting the back pain and alcohol link are circumstantial. But, if you want to keep on drinking t prove if this theory is valid, be my guest; however, I would advise you not to do this and take care of your body.
I cannot and wont tell you to stop drinking, I too enjoy a drink from time to time, all I`m saying is to try an be moderate with everything you do in life, including drinking and avoid unnecessary problems.
I want to thank you for taking the time to address this topic. I have been pondering on the connection between alcohol and back pain, since I often feel pain the next morning. There is not a lot of information on this topic available online, so I am really happy I run across your article. Thanks!
I came across this post because I was researching the link between lower back pain and alcohol. I always get lower back pain after drinking now. If I abstain, it goes away. No clue why but since there is a circumstantial link and I’ve realised it, it’s one more reason to stop.