Know About Link Between Smoking and Back Pain

Does your back hurt? You might think that it is because you slept wrong or because you lifted something heavy or inappropriate which has resulted in the back pain. But there is another possible culprit, one that can fire up soreness. Nowadays we see many men as well as women smoking cigarettes. It may be their passion or they do it for various kinds of reasons like to get rid from stress, to enjoy and give pleasure to oneself but they don't really know how much they are damaging their body. Both active and passive smokers are affected due to smoking.

A construction worker might claim his jackhammer for his sore back, an office worker might chalk up the ache to an uncomfortable chair. It's fair enough but if either person happens to be a smoker there just might be a different condition for his or her pain. In recent years researchers have found a statistical correlation and continue to study the relationship of smoking and back pain.

After a lot of studies smokers seem to be more likely than non-smokers to suffer from sore backs. Most men and women, manual labor and white collar workers suffer from back pain. Is it only due to stress or long hours of work? I think it's no because in the present generation, smoking has become a trend. There are higher rates of chronic low back pain among smokers compared to non-smokers and therefore they experience more severe pain.

How does smoking hurt?

The nicotine present in tobacco can delude the body into feeling good -at first. It triggers the release of chemicals, like dopamine, which give off a satisfying, 'pleasure' sensation. It is for this reason that makes smoking so addictive. Did you ever imagine how much it affects your body? Probably not! If it was yes then when it is said that smoking can cause cancer or is injurious, no one would smoke only for pleasure. Let me give a brief description about how it affects your body. 

The spine is vertebrae which are types of specialized bones and these vertebrae are separated by cushioning discs made of an outer ring of fibrous cartilage and the soft core. Vertebrae and spinal discs need a healthy supply of nutrient and oxygen rich blood to resist degeneration Since smoking reduces blood flow, the nutrients and oxygen are not delivered in the amounts required to keep bones, cartilage and other tissues healthy. There is also research from Northwestern University that found smoking obstructs with the brain circuitry that is engaged in transmitting pain sensations. That study and subsequent ones have found that brain receptors are desensitized which makes a lower level of pain feel more severe.

Smokers are at a higher risk of suffering from health conditions like osteoporosis and lumbar disc disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it has been said that smoking is the cause of up to 80-90% of lung cancer and pain in the upper back and chest is one symptom of lung cancer. Smoking also creates problems with bone healing which can lead to chronic back pain. Acknowledging all this information together, the result is that smokers have huge risk of experiencing chronic back pain than non-smokers.

You will look to cigarettes for help in coping up with pain, anxiety or stress but that is not the right way to live your life. There are some healthy ways to quit smoking like you may ask your doctor about medication or nicotine replacement products, take a walk whenever you feel the urge to smoke, get support from family and friends and join a support group.

Short-term relief from nicotine brings long term problems. Your life is a gift of god and precious too. So think twice before lighting that 'cigarette' which may actually worsen your back pain.