The world of medicine has studied the effectiveness of alcohol as a painkiller for years, but opinions have always remained divided. Given the side effects of traditional painkillers, there is real interest in seeing alcohol as an alternative, and that is what a study published by Dr. Trevor Thompson of the University of Greenwich points to. Moderate consumption optimizes the pain tolerance threshold and reduces pain intensity, although the text does not ignore the risks associated with dependence.
The ideal would be for a person to identify (with professional help) the cause of their pain and eliminate it completely, but that is a path not everyone can take. Unfortunately, certain conditions turn pain into an unwanted constant companion, and the best we can do is palliate, manage. That leaves us trapped in a festival of painkillers and anti-inflammatories that can cause as much harm as relief.
For example, aspirin and ibuprofen are workhorses in my home, but the stomach has a very particular opinion about their performance. Experts are well aware of this and always look for alternatives, though they still have doubts about one of the oldest: Alcohol.
Alcohol as a painkiller
Anecdotes about completely drunk patients undergoing surgery without local anesthesia have multiplied over the years, but today we come across a study led by Dr. Trevor Thompson of the University of Greenwich, published in December 2016.
After a meta-analysis of 18 controlled experiments, and in line with the use of alcohol as an analgesic, it was found that an average blood content of .08% (the legal limit in the United States and England) produces a minimal elevation in the pain threshold and a reduction of 1.25 points in pain intensity, on a scale of 0 to 10 (the control condition was 5/10, and after consumption it dropped to 3.75/10).
That .08% is equivalent to about three or four beers (depending on type and size, of course). What is notable is that such a reduction in pain intensity makes alcohol more effective than the popular paracetamol. Needless to say, alcohol as a painkiller is a double-edged sword, and in critical situations it can quickly turn into an addiction. I imagine that some of our readers will want to put this to the test, and the obvious recommendation is "always in moderation".
