Summary: One of the new studies shows that alcohol may increase the chances of developing chronic pain. It found that prolonged alcohol abuse may even cause permanent chronic pain, and this risk is relatively greater in females.
Chronic pain is one of the most common complaints these days, and yet science has been struggling to understand its cause. Of course, it is evident that it occurs for many reasons, making pinpointing its cause challenging. Moreover, due to its different causes, its treatment also remains challenging.
Studies show that more than 20% of US adults experience chronic pain. Further, about 7-8% experience high-impact pain. Thus, these are individuals who are also more likely to abuse medications, opioids, or even alcohol.
Although alcohol may provide some short-term relief, a new study shows that in the long run, it may make things much worse or even make chronic pain a permanent issue.
The risk of developing chronic pain after alcohol withdrawal depends on how frequently a person drinks and how much. Those who abuse alcohol at higher dosages for a long time are much more likely to develop chronic pain.
These findings are vital considering that alcohol use disorder (AUD) is not a rare problem among US adults. Studies show that more than 10% of US adults abuse alcohol. In the US, about 29 million adults are living with alcohol use disorder. Accessible options like alcohol addiction treatment online may play a crucial role in managing this widespread issue and reducing its long-term impact.
This new study published in Pharmacological Research was done in rat models. In the study, researchers divided the rats into three groups. The first group of rats consumed alcohol for 5 weeks in moderate amounts. Researchers found that on discontinuing alcohol exposure, these rats showed high pain sensitivity or heightened allodynia for five days.
However, things were worse in the second group, given a greater amount of alcohol. These rats showed heightened pain sensitivity for several days. There was one more interesting finding, which is the difference between the genders. Researchers found that female rats took almost twice as long to recover from this increased pain sensitivity or allodynia compared to male rats.
Things were quite different for the group of rats fed with higher alcohol dosages for longer. These rats did not show any sign of recovery even after 26 days of abstinence. Researchers say that 26 days in their rat model is equal to 30 months in humans. So this suggests that heavy drinking for longer causes some permanent changes in the body, resulting in permanent chronic pain.
To understand the cause of these permanent changes, researchers examined the dorsal root ganglia of heavy-drinking rats. They found that prolonged duration of heavy drinking led to permanently reduced levels of endocannabinoid 2-AG in the ganglia. Hence, researchers think that treatment targeting 2-AG may be one of the ways of managing allodynia.
The researchers also found altered levels of eicosanoids, a type of immune signaling molecule, especially in the dorsal root ganglia of female rats, explaining sex differences between the groups.
So, researchers say that the next logical step would be finding out if normalizing 2-AG levels using various modulators or some medications can help prevent or reverse allodynia due to alcohol drinking. Further, it is also vital to see how males and females may respond differently to various treatments.
To sum up, this study found that chronic alcohol use, especially at higher dosages, may cause some permanent changes in the nervous system, causing persistent pain. Further, this risk is much greater in females than in males.
Considering that AUD is not a rare issue in the US, it may be one of the significant causes of increasing reports of chronic pain. Understanding the mechanism behind chronic pain in various population groups is essential for finding its safe and effective treatment.
Frequently asked questions
Can alcohol make chronic pain worse?
Yes. Alcohol may bring some short-term relief, but over the long run it can make chronic pain much worse or even permanent. The risk depends on how often and how much a person drinks: people who drink heavily for a long time are much more likely to develop chronic pain after they stop. People living with chronic pain are also more likely to misuse alcohol.
Does alcohol withdrawal cause pain?
In this study, it did. Rats that drank moderate amounts for five weeks showed heightened pain sensitivity, called allodynia, for five days after the alcohol stopped. Rats given more alcohol stayed sensitive for several days. Rats that drank heavily for longer showed no sign of recovery after 26 days without alcohol, which the researchers equate to about 30 months in humans.
Can you reverse years of heavy drinking?
For pain, long-term heavy drinking may leave lasting changes. The study found it permanently lowered levels of 2-AG, one of the body’s own endocannabinoids, in nerve clusters called the dorsal root ganglia. The next step researchers named is testing whether medicines that bring 2-AG back to normal can prevent or reverse this pain.
Are women more at risk of chronic pain from alcohol?
In this study, yes. Female rats took almost twice as long as male rats to recover from alcohol-related pain sensitivity. The researchers linked the difference to altered levels of eicosanoids, a type of immune signaling molecule, in the dorsal root ganglia of the female rats. They concluded that the risk of lasting pain from heavy drinking is much greater in females.
Source:
Borgonetti, V., Vozella, V., Ware, T., Cruz, B., Bullard, R., Cravatt, B. F., Galeotti, N., & Roberto, M. (2024). Excessive alcohol intake produces persistent mechanical allodynia and dysregulates the endocannabinoid system in the lumbar dorsal root ganglia of genetically-selected Marchigian Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats. Pharmacological Research, 209, 107462. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107462