Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant found in chocolate, coffee, tea and soft drinks. It works by affecting certain chemicals in your body, such as adenosine and dopamine. Although caffeine usually is consumed to increase energy or boost alertness, it has several other benefits, including reducing pain.
Headaches
Caffeine might reduce headache pain, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington. Scientists investigated the impact of caffeine intake on headache patients. Subjects received one of the following: placebo, acetaminophen, two doses of caffeine, or two doses of caffeine with acetaminophen. At the end of the study, which was published in the February 1991 issue of “Pain,” researchers observed that those in the caffeine groups experienced reductions in pain compared with those in the other groups.
Post-Workout Pain
Consuming a moderate amount of caffeine might decrease post-workout pain. Researchers at the University of Georgia assigned subjects caffeine or a placebo one hour before they performed eccentric exercise, which is intended to overload your muscles and cause inflammation. At the end of the workout, researchers discovered that those in the caffeine group experienced a 48 percent reduction in post-workout pain compared with those who had a placebo. The findings were reported in the March 2007 issue of the “Journal of Pain.”
Mechanism
Adenosine is a chemical that signals the release of inflammatory cells to tissues, such as muscle tissue, according to research performed by scientists at the University of Texas-Houston Medical School. One of the ways caffeine reduces pain is by binding to adenosine receptors and preventing them from signaling the release of inflammatory cells that cause pain, according to research published in the 2009 issue of "Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology.”
Side Effects
Although caffeine can reduce pain, excess caffeine consumption can produce adverse effects, most notably insomnia and increased heart rate, according to MayoClinic.com. Decrease your caffeine intake if you experience any symptoms.
References
- "Pain"; The Analgesic Effects of Caffeine in Headache; N. Ward et al.; February 1991
- "Journal of Pain"; Caffeine Attentuates Delayed-Onset Muscle Pain and Force Loss Following Eccentric Exercise; V. Maridakis et al.; March 2007
- "Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology"; Adenosine Receptors and Inflammation; M.R. Blackburn et al.; 2009
- MayoClinic.com: Caffeine; How much is too much?; March 2011
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