Why coffee might ease your pain (especially if you ’re a sleepy mouse)
This study reminded me of something I learned in medical school. I was taught that one of the most common causes of headache was caffeine withdrawal. An effective “treatment” includes coffee, another caffeine-containing drink or food, or a headache medicine that contains caffeine. But now I’m wondering if the pain-relieving properties of coffee might be less related to caffeine withdrawal and more related to the findings of this study. Maybe wake-promoting agents reverse pain sensitivity in sleep-deprived people, as this study found among mice.
This novel observation could change how we understand and treat certain types of pain — or it may apply only to mice. Either way the findings are interesting. The big question is: are they important?
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Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Robert H. Shmerling, MD Tags: Pain Management Sleep Source Type: blogs
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