Mild drinking can lower disability in chronic pain patients

Treating chronic widespread pain with a glass of wine or a pint of beer may not sound like a good idea but scientists think otherwise. Moderate drinking may lower the disability risk among those suffering from the condition, says new research.

In a study of 2,239 individuals with chronic widespread pain, the key feature of fibromyalgia, those who regularly consumed alcohol had lower levels of disability than those who never or rarely drank, the authors reported.

"Although we cannot say that alcohol consumption causes less disability among people with chronic widespread pain, the observed link warrants further investigation," said Gary Macfarlane from University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

Those who drank 21 to 35 units of alcohol per week were 67 percent less likely than never drinkers to experience disability. One unit of alcohol is a half pint of average strength beer/lager, one small glass of wine or one single drink with hard liquor.

The paper appeared in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.