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However, for many who suffer from chronic back pain, the reasons are less obvious and in some cases, downright baffling.
What if a simple caffeine habit like a daily cup or two of coffee or even that afternoon chocolate pick me up is causing your sore lower back? Is this really possible?
Could your morning cup of Joe be having unintended consequences? Lets find out.
You see, caffeine stresses the adrenal glands, round disk-shaped organs only a few inches across which sit atop each kidney on the posterior side of the body which is, you guessed it, right in the area of the lower back.
Just a single caffeinated drink stimulates your adrenal glands which translates into the energy boost that is the primary reason folks consume caffeine in the first place.
While this little boost is not a problem for most people on occasion, it can rapidly lead to weakened adrenals over time when this hit of adrenaline is sought day in and day out or even several times a day if that morning cup of coffee is followed by a caffeinated soda or chocolate bar in the afternoon and an espresso after dinner.
What about those 5-hour energy shots at the grocery store? I call them chronic back pain in a bottle.
Risk Of Kidney Stones
Beyond medical diseases of the kidney, there are still special situations where intake of coffee might need to be moderated. One such scenario is people who form kidney stones.
Oxalate stones are one of the commonest varieties of kidney stones, and it just so happens that one of the main sources of oxalate in our diet is regular coffee .
Therefore, patients with kidney stones, especially those with calcium oxalate stones, should still regard coffee as a possible risk factor.
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How To Determine If Chronic Back Pain Is From Adrenal Burnout
If you suspect that adrenal burnout is causing your chronic back pain, here are some simple at-home tests to determine if you are on the right track as described by Dr. L. Wilson MD:
- First, take a fork and run it gently across the inside of your forearm. Within about 10 seconds, the lines should turn red. If the lines dont turn red very readily, this can be a sign of adrenal fatigue. This article contains other little known adrenal fatigue symptoms for you to check such as wrinkles on the underside of your fingertips.
- Another way to test your adrenals is to lay down on the floor for a few minutes and then get up very quickly. Does your blood pressure drop and do you feel lightheaded like you might even pass out? This is another sign that your adrenals are struggling.
- The final test is to take a flashlight and look in the mirror. Shine the flashlight into one eye and notice if the pupil very quickly contracts as it should. If not, adrenal weakness is a likely cause.
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Is Coffee Contributing To Your Back Pain
Do you like grabbing a cup of coffee with friends or camping out at your favorite little coffee shop in town to catch up on work and emails? Is coffee a social aspect for you, or are you someone who relies on that caffeine boost to get you up in the morning, and keep you going throughout the day? I personally am the latter! However, something so trivial and helpful throughout the day can actually be causing harm. If you drink coffee regularly and also experience back pain, it is possible that there may be a connection.
Although drinking coffee won’t physically injure you, it can cause back aches and enhance previously existing aches and pains. According to The Healthy Home Economist, caffeine specifically places stress on the adrenal glands. These are round disk shaped organs that sit atop each kidney on the posterior side of the body. Stressing out the adrenals all the time with an unchecked caffeine habit weakens not only the adrenal glands but the entire area around them which includes the lower back, reports the publication. Weak adrenals can also take vital nutrients away from the ligaments and tendons, which can then affect the joints. This can include the sacroiliac joint which supports the weight of the entire body.
What Does Caffeine Do To The Body
Caffeine exerts various effects on the human body, primarily enhancing alertness and prolonging attention, and it does this through direct stimulation of the central nervous system. This is why a cup of coffee can make it much easier to focus on tasks that are often boring!
The stimulant action of caffeine occurs due to its action as an adenosine antagonist and adenosine receptor agonist. Through this action, it plays a role in the regulation of brain activity as well as the states of wakefulness and sleep.
This has caused many scientists to become interested in the many ways in which caffeine consumption may affect human health. The subject is highly controversial, especially with regard to the relationship that exists between caffeine and chronic pain.
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Strengthen The Adrenals To Help Resolve Chronic Back Pain
If you discover that you do in fact suffer from weak adrenals, getting off dependence on caffeine is one of the very best ways to strengthen them and thereby indirectly reduce your chronic back pain. Three other effective strategies are:
- Adequate rest get to bed no later than 10:30 if possible. If you are a night owl like me, resolve to get to bed by 10:30 pm at least a few nights a week at a minimum.
- Reduce dependence on grains and sugars in the diet.
- Increase the amount of salt in the diet not processed salt, also called sodium, but sea salt which is full of minerals and is very soothing and healing for the adrenals . Ignore the low salt dogma which is dangerous to health and has no effect on hypertension anyway according to recent reports and salt your food to taste.
Getting off or at least reducing caffeine intake is one of the very best things anyone can do for a healthy back and/or to resolve chronic back pain issues
This article shares some of the best coffee substitutes out there. Dont forget about yerba mate and matcha tea when you are removing stimulants from your diet that are negatively affecting your back health. These beverages are both extremely high in caffeine nearly as high as coffee.
If you have chronic back pain that is baffling you as well as your doctors or you find yourself living at the chiropractor or acupuncturists office, the time may be right to take a look at these two little glands that may need some serious TLC.
What Foods Trigger Neuropathy
Neuropathy from diabetes will worsen with certain foods and drinks that cause your blood sugar levels to spike. Triggers include excessively salty food, too, not just sugary goods. When in doubt, fruit and vegetables will never let you down and can be an excellent way to fill your plate.
If youre suffering from neuropathy due to type 1 or type 2 diabetes, theres a chance you are already relatively mindful of your diet. Below is a list of the top six foods and drinks that you should avoid if you suffer from peripheral neuropathy.
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Insomnia And Other Side Effects
Overdoing it with caffeine, whether from coffee, other caffeinated beverages, or even chocolate, can sometimes produce unwanted side effects that can increase muscle and joint stiffness. For instance, insomnia or trouble getting enough recuperative sleep each night can exacerbate existing joint issues, especially when first waking up.
Im Concerned About My Alcohol Use: What Should I Do
Even if your alcohol use is not affecting your renal system, and even if you are not misusing alcohol, alcohol can still have a negative impact on your health and overall life.6 If youre concerned about your alcohol use, there are a variety of resources available for you to utilize. American Addiction Centers offers a free 24/7 helpline for those wondering about alcohol use disorder, the stages of alcohol use disorder, treatment options for alcohol use disorder, and more. Call our admissions navigators today at to find out more about what you can do to protect your health if youre worried about the impact that its having on your drinking.
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Caffeine: What You Need To Know
Robert E. Shapiro, MD, PhDProfessor of NeurologyUniversity of Vermont College of MedicineBurlington, VT
Keeler Center for the Study of HeadachesOjai, CA
Migraine patients often report that some attacks can be halted by a strong cup of coffee. This is not surprising to hear. Caffeine is a key active ingredient in many headache medications including ExcedrinTM, AnacinTM, MidolTM, Darvon CompoundTM, FioricetTM, and MigranalTM. Caffeine may aid in the absorption of these medicines, but can caffeine itself relieve headaches? Few research studies have examined this question, but the answer appears to be yes caffeine can provide some headache relief. For example, one small controlled study found that caffeine was more effective than placebo, and as effective as acetaminophen, in relieving tension-type headaches.
How Much Caffeine Is Safe
An 8-ounce cup of coffee has about 80 to 100 milligrams of caffeine, while a similar-size cup of tea has about 30 to 50 milligrams, per the FDA.
Run the numbers to see how much you might be drinking per day. A 12-ounce can of soda with caffeine has about 35 to 45 milligrams, according to the NLM. What about energy drinks? Each one can add another 70 to 100 milligrams of caffeine to your day’s total.
Caffeine is also in chocolate and some medications, especially those you might take for colds, per the NLM. Some dietary supplements have concentrated amounts of caffeine as well, according to the FDA.
Even some packaged foods might contain caffeine. Many voluntarily list how much caffeine is in them, the FDA says. “Read the labels to understand how much caffeine you’re taking in and pay close attention to how it affects you,” Hultin says.
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Why Not Just Treat Your Headaches With Coffee
Unfortunately, caffeine’s effects on the brain can vary tremendously depending upon how often you use it. With occasional use, it may provide modest acute headache relief, as well as its characteristic satisfying sense of alertness and well-being. However, with daily or near daily caffeine exposure, the brain may develop a tolerance for, and dependency upon, the drug. This means, a given dose becomes less potent following repetitive exposure, and the brain develops an expectation that another dose of caffeine will be coming soon. If that caffeine expectation is unmet, a withdrawal syndrome may result, which includes headache itself as a prominent symptom, along with fatigue, trouble concentrating, nausea, and other symptoms suggestive of migraine. An example of this withdrawal syndrome may be the “weekend migraine” pattern where individuals experience attacks on Saturdays or Sundays associated with sleeping later than usual and delaying their morning cup of coffee.
In daily caffeine users, caffeine has less of an effect on brain activation and blood vessel constriction, and caffeine withdrawal is associated with a significant increase in brain blood flow associated with blood vessel dilation. These chronic effects of caffeine are likely a result of changes in the numbers and types of adenosine receptors expressed on brain cells as well as changes in their functions. These changes may contribute to the development of caffeine tolerance and dependency.
Subjects And Experimental Protocol
Data were collected from healthy, normotensive Japanese volunteers, nine males and one female, ranging in age from 21 to 25 y , including habitual caffeine consumers and excluding smokers. None had a history of any sleep disturbances, including difficulty in falling asleep, or frequent or long phases of wakefulness. Their body weights were within 10% of normal , ranging from 45 to 75 kg . The subjects were required to get up before 0800 h on the days of the experiment. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects according to the guidelines established by the declaration of Helsinki.
Measurements were made in a quiet room with about 50% humidity and temperature of 21 ± 1°C. The subjects abstained from food, drink and exercise for the previous 3 h. Before measurements, the subjects were instructed to rest more than 15 min in the sitting position wearing an ear sensor in a quiet and relaxing atmosphere. Because respiration greatly influences HRV , subjects were instructed to breathe at a frequency of 1 breath/4 s in synchrony with the sound of an electric metronome. The subjects breathed at comfortable tidal volume levels.
To avoid the influences of circadian rhythm, each measurement was taken between 1500 and 1600 h.
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The Role Of Coffee In Pain Management
Not only is coffee one of the most sought after, popular and enjoyable drinks on the planet, studies show that it has a significant role to play in pain management too. The role of caffeine in pain management has been receiving more attention in recent years and is currently a subject of interest and ongoing research in the medical profession.
Once the effects of coffee on pain have been fully understood it can be harnessed in even more ways to help people with a range of conditions both treat and manage their pain symptoms. Not only that, but there is mounting evidence to suggest that coffee may play an important role in reducing the risks of a range of life-threatening diseases such as cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even Alzheimers.
Can Neck Misalignment Cause Trigeminal Neuralgia
You may experience trigeminal neuralgia symptoms if your atlas is not aligned correctly. In order to transmit signals to and from your brain, your spine is primarily responsible for protecting it. An misalignment of the atlas causes pressure within the spinal cord, which results in improper signals being sent.
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Energy Drinks And Caffeine
Energy drinks contain caffeine, as well as ingredients such as taurine and guarana . Energy drinks do not hydrate and should not be confused with sports drinks.
The caffeine and sugar content of energy drinks is high. In fact it is often higher than in soft drinks. The levels of caffeine in energy drinks vary between brands, so it is important to read the label before having them.
Children and pregnant women should avoid drinking energy drinks.
Mayo Clinic Q And A: Reducing Your Risk Of Kidney Stones
Dear Mayo Clinic: My father has a history of kidney stones. He has changed his diet in the past year, which seemed to help. Iâm concerned though, since I had heard kidney stones can increase during the summer. Is this true? If so, are there any tips for how he can further reduce his risk?
Answer: As temperatures rise during the summer months, so does the risk of developing kidney stones, even if you have never had one before. There are several reasons why there is a rise in kidney stones during the summer months. Among these reasons are an increase in outdoor activities, and the amount and types of food and drink we consume.
Research shows that as the weather warms up, people spend more time outdoors, doing yardwork, spending time at the pool or around a barbeque. And often the body is not getting the type of fluids it needs while losing more than normal via the skin.
Kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals and salts that form inside your kidneys. They develop when your urine contains more crystal-forming substances, such as calcium, oxalate and uric acid, than the fluid in your urine can dilute.
There are several causes for kidney stones, including diet, which can play a significant role in the formation of kidney stones. A family or personal history of kidney stones raises your risk, as do certain medications and medical conditions.
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Caffeine Disrupts Your Sleep
Even if you only have one cup first thing in the morning, your sleep quality that night is diminished. This is shown by EEG readings in sleep labs. So you wake feeling less refreshed, and grab a cup. Then you get drowsy in the afternoon from lack of quality sleep the night before, and want another cup. It’s a vicious cycle. You’re addicted.
Caffeine reduces REM sleep . This means less dreams, less chance for your deep mind to do emotional processing.
Caffeine reduces or eliminates the deepest sleep, NREM stage 3 sleep. This means less recovery from physical stress, less benefit from exercise, and less HGH release.
Inability to descend fully into deep sleep is associated with Fibromyalgia Syndrome and Chronic Fatigue Immune Deficiency Syndrome , two painful conditions.
Do Coffee And Caffeine Cause Kidney Stones
Experiencing the back pain, groin pain, fever, chills, nausea or vomiting associated with kidney stones may spur you to change your lifestyle to avoid further stone formation. A kidney stone is solid mass of crystals that can collect in your kidney or anywhere else in your urinary tract. Certain foods and beverages may increase your risk for kidney stone formation, but coffee and caffeine may have protective effects.
- By Daniel Pendick, Former Executive Editor, Harvard Mens Health Watch
If youve ever had a kidney stone, you surely remember it. The pain can be unbearable, coming in waves until the tiny stone passes through your urinary plumbing and out of the body. For many, kidney stones arent a one-time thing: in about half of people who have had one, another appears within seven years without preventive measures.
Preventing kidney stones isnt complicated, but it does take some determination.
Kidney stones form when certain chemicals become concentrated enough in the urine to form crystals. The crystals grow into larger masses , which can make their way through the urinary tract. If the stone gets stuck somewhere and blocks the flow of urine, it causes pain.
Most stones occur when calcium combines with oxalate. Stones can also form from uric acid, which is a byproduct of protein metabolism.
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