Drinking just one cup of caffeinated coffee in the mornings may
help reduce chronic neck and shoulder pain associated with working long hours
at a computer, according to a new study published in the journal BMC Research Notes.
Researchers
from Norway's National Institute of Occupational Health and Oslo University
Hospital conducted a study to determine if subjects who had consumed coffee
before performing a simulated computer office-work task found to provoke pain
in the neck and shoulders and forearms and wrists exhibited different time
course in the pain development than the subjects who had abstained from coffee intake.
For the study, 48 participants (22 with chronic neck or shoulder
pain and 26 healthy pain-free subjects) were recruited to perform office-based
computer work. Nineteen (40%) of the subjects had consumed coffee (1/2 to 1
cup) on average one hour before the task. Pain intensity in the shoulders and
neck and forearms and wrists was rated on a visual analogue scale every 15
minutes throughout the work task.
The found 19 of the participants who had drank coffee, whether
they had chronic pain or not, developed less pain over the course of the 90
minutes compared to those who didn't drink coffee.
The researchers said the results might have potentially
interesting implications of a pain-modulating effect of caffeine in an everyday
setting. However, studies with a double-blind placebo controlled randomized
design are needed.
A study published in the Journal
of Alzheimer's Disease this past summer found older individuals
with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who drink up to three cups of coffee a day may help ward off progression
to full-blown Alzheimer’s disease by up to two to four years
compared to those who consume less caffeine.
A study published last year also found high levels of the
chlorogenic acids (CGA) found in coffee increase alertness, reduce mental fatigue and decrease headaches.
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