Countless people say they often experience pain or discomfort in some of their joints after they have been drinking alcohol. They also say the level of pain they experience is proportionate to the amount of alcohol they consume. In other words, the more they drink, the worse the pain. What do medical professionals have to say about this?
If you tend to party hard, then you will no doubt be pleased to hear that there is seemingly no real evidence to suggest that alcohol consumption can cause joint pain. Countless studies have already been carried out over the years, and researchers have never yet managed to establish a direct link. However, this still does not mean alcohol can't contribute in an indirect way.
It is for example a well known fact that excessive drinking increases the risk of getting gout substantially, and of course gout can cause severe pain in some of your joints, with feet and knees being the most commonly affected joints. Gout is essentially caused by a buildup of uric acid in the body, and it often goes away after a few months, only to return again at a later stage.
Alcohol consumption is also known to cause weight gain, and this in turn can and frequently does result in joint pain. Those first few beers may not interfere with your weight, but if you are drinking regularly, your weight will definitely start creeping up gradually. In fact, this can happen so slowly that you don't even realize it until you start experiencing aches and pains in your joints. Do not forget, every extra pound you put on increases the burden on your joints.
Joint pain is also often caused by poor sleeping habits, and of course alcohol can be a major culprit in this regard. You may think you have a much better sleep if you have a few drinks first, but the truth is, you don't. Under normal circumstances, you will always move around in your sleep. You may go to sleep on your back and wake up still lying on your back, but you can be rest assured, you would have spent some time on your side or on your stomach during the night.
This natural pain prevention mechanism does not always happen if you go to sleep drunk. Also, you may fall asleep in a position which is far from being ideal, and naturally this can cause you to have painful joints when you wake up the next day.
While there might not be a direct link between joint pain and alcohol consumption, it is clear that alcohol can be a contributing factor. Drinking too much can also cause a vast amount of other health problems, so it really is best to only drink in moderation.
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