New Study Says Coffee May Reduce Physical Pain

First came the news that coffee might prolong life. Then, a study revealed it can lower the risk of skin cancer. Now, research shows that coffee may be capable of reducing physical pain. Is there anything this miracle beverage can't do?

A new study conducted by the Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital in Norway looked at 48 people and discovered that those who drank coffee experienced less neck and shoulder pain after sitting at a computer for 90 minutes.

The study group was evenly split between healthy people and those who had previously suffered from chronic pain, but all who drank coffee reported less discomfort overall.

Although the experiment wasn't meant to study the effects of caffeine, it's possible that the beverage had a direct impact on dulling pain. Still, researchers say, the reduction in pain could be due to other traits or lifestyle behaviors in the test subjects instead. In order to truly get to the bottom of the study's findings, they say, further research is needed.

In the meantime, we'll be having an extra cup of joe from now on just in case.

[NBC News]