Coffee May Ease Neck, Shoulder Pain Linked to Computer Use

OSLO, NorwayDrinking 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 Alzheimers 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.