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Caffeine, alcohol, and my Neck

SagaLore

Elite Member
I have problems with my neck.

Particularly the right side. I seem to have some scar tissue that has built up over the years, leftover from a huge knot I had in my back that strained the muscles in my neck. I think some of it has to do with the fact I popped my right shoulder out several times over the years.

So neck pain became chronic. I'd have this insatiable kink I would keep trying to crack which I'm sure made the scar tissue worse. I started taking tylenol several times a week, because my neck would end up giving me a headache.

But then I started drinking coffee. At first it was about a 1/3 of a cup, then over time I was drinking a full cup, now I drink several a day. It took me awhile to realize it, but when I drink coffee my neck loosens up and doesn't give me pain. I knew I was drinking too much coffee so tried to ween myself off, and again it too me awhile to notice but if I went a full 24 hours without coffee, I'm guaranteed an extremely stiff neck which then gave me a headache.

Now on the flipside, I have found another issue. If I drink a beer, within half an hour my neck is completely relaxed, to the point I can crack it without pain and rotate it freely. But then the next morning I wake up with an extremely stiff neck.

So I'm wondering why caffeine and alcohol is affecting my neck in this way. I know that caffeine dilates blood vessels, and alcohol thins blood.

I'm not sure what kind of answers I'm expecting from the ATOT community, but maybe some of you have experienced something similar and can shed some light on my condition...
 
Although there was a time that I was a med major, I am not a doctor. I was going to say that the caffeine in the coffee is a vasodilator which would increase bloodflow to the muscles in the affected region. This could lead to a reduction in pain. Heat from a quality heating pad (Thermopore, about $70.00) like those used in physical therapy does that.

But you said it, "I know that caffeine dilates blood vessels..."
 
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