Are Smoking and Back Pain Related

Five out on ten working adults report of back pain condition in the United States and the prevalence of smoking habit is well known in the society. Is there an association between smoking and back pain? After all, there are close to 4000 harmful chemicals in the cigarette smoke. These toxins target various organs of the body making it prone to several ailments and conditions.

A research study on this topic was carried out by experts from the Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The results of the study were published in Pub Med, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health in June 1999.

Another research also reveals that smoking could double the risk of contracting severe back pain. Smokers face double the risk of getting back pain compared to non-smokers. A 2003 study found a consistent link between smoking and back pain. Smokers faced increased risks of suffering from maladies of the lower limbs, back, upper limbs and neck.

The 2003 study in Britain found that current smokers reported a 50% higher incidence of pain that prevented them from working, or even doing normal household tasks. Even ex-smokers reported this debilitating effect. To top it, even white-collar smokers and those whose jobs did not involve moving or heavy lifting were also similarly affected.

What Research Learnt About the Nexus Between Smoking and Back Pain

• 20 million people in the United States suffer from a condition of the spine called the idiopathic scoliosis
• The researchers wanted to learn the role of smoking habit on this condition
• 1287 women and 184 men suffering from this condition and 1130 women and 621 men without it were part of the study
• As a part of the study, the participants were asked to fill questionnaires
• The study could link the condition to smoking men, women and non-smoking women
• It implies that the risk of developing this condition is always more in women. The habit of smoking only raises the risk by several times in them
• The frequency, duration and intensity of the pain were found to increase in all the three mentioned groups with increase in the consumption of cigarettes

Why Smoking can Cause Back pain

• A possible cause of smoking related pain may be because tobacco use reduces blood supply to musculoskeletal tissues which raises clotting risks. Besides, smoking also reduces nutrient flow to joints and muscles in the lower back, resulting in back ache
• Smoking can clog the arteries, impairing the supply of oxygen and blood to the spine. This leads to the deterioration of spinal disks
• Nicotine in cigarettes can affect the manner in which the brain transmits pain signals
• Heavy smoking can lead to chronic coughing, which can cause back pain indirectly
• Less fit smokers face higher risks of getting back pain
• Smoking can slow the healing process, thus prolonging back pain in people who have broken bones, back injuries or those recovering from recent back surgery

Treatment of Back Pain
Read the following tips to prevent and treat back pain:

• A balanced and sensible diet can prevent back pain
• Vitamin D and calcium pills can effectively treat back pain
• Sleep on your side and place a pillow between the knees to relieve back pain
• Strengthen your core through appropriate exercises to ease back pain
• Frequently stretch gently to maintain muscle flexibility
• Maintain proper posture while sitting and standing, since bad postures can aggravate a sore back
• Do not lift heavy items
• If your back pain is chronic or severe, consult a doctor as soon as possible

Conclusion, if smoking and back pain related: There is relatively less number of reliable and concrete research studies on this topic. The present study did not succeed in finding the underlying mechanism of the nexus between smoking and back pain.

However, the results of the study implied that the habit of smoking increases the severity of back pain, especially in patients with damaged spine.