"Unveiling the Link: Quit Smoking for a Healthier, Pain-Free Back!"

by Dennis Bruns, Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Specialist

Hey there, if you're a smoker and you also have lower back pain, it´s without doubt challenging to deal with it successfully.

You've probably heard a lot of advice from your family, friends, and even your doctor, pushing you to quit smoking.

And perhaps you've often thought about putting your money to better use.

But today, let it be different: I want to break it down for you in a simple way and explain why kicking the habit can help with your back pain. Let me help you to get you a motivational boost.

Let's particularly talk about your low back.

These areas between your bones are common sources of pain, these discs in your spine play a big role.

Now, these discs don't have their own direct blood supply.

They rely on the bones above and below them to bring in all the good stuff like water, oxygen, proteins, and amino acids to stay healthy.

It's like they're thirsty, and they depend on this 'rain' of nutrients to thrive.

But here's the kicker: smoking messes with this process.

The nicotine and other stuff in cigarettes tighten up those tiny arteries in your bones, which means fewer nutrients can reach your discs.

This speeds up disc degeneration, making it hard for them to repair themselves and stay in good shape.

So, here's the bottom line: multiple international studies in the civilian and military world show that if you quit smoking, your chances of getting no back pain get better, and if you already have back pain, then positive results from treatments like physical therapy are much better than if you keep smoking.

It's a strong reason to put those cigarettes down for good, so you can thrive as active person with a healthy strong back.

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References:

Kawada T. "Risk factors for low back pain with special reference to current smoking." Spine J. 2019 Feb;19(2):372. [DOI: 10.1016.j.spinee.2018.09.005] [PMID: 30660241]

O'Connor FG, Marlowe SS. Low back pain in military basic trainees. A pilot study. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1993 Aug;18(10):1351-4. doi: 10.1097/00007632-199308000-00015. PMID: 8211367.

Schembri, Emanuel et al. "Nicotine dependence and the International Association for the Study of Pain neuropathic pain grade in patients with chronic low back pain and radicular pain: is there an association?" The Korean journal of pain vol. 33,4 (2020): 359-377. [DOI: 10.3344/kjp.2020.33.4.359]

Shiri R, Falah-Hassani K. "The Effect of Smoking on the Risk of Sciatica: A Meta-analysis." Am J Med. 2016 Jan;129(1):64-73.e20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2015.07.041] [PMID: 26403480]

Sidiq M, Alenazi W, Kashoo FZ, Qasim M, Lopez MP, Ahmad M, Mani S, Shaphe MA, Khodairi O, Almutairi A, Mir SA. Prevalence of non-specific chronic low-back pain and risk factors among male soldiers in Saudi Arabia. PeerJ. 2021 Oct 12;9:e12249. doi: 10.7717/peerj.12249. PMID: 34721972; PMCID: PMC8519176.

Suikkanen S, Pihlajamäki H, Parviainen M, Kautiainen H, Kiviranta I. Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Back Pain Among Young Male Conscripts During Compulsory Finnish Military Service. Mil Med. 2023 Mar 20;188(3-4):e739-e744. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usab375. PMID: 34480793; PMCID: PMC10026615.

Wei G, Li H, Wang B, Wu J, Wu F, Lin Z. A retrospective cross-sectional survey of non-specific lower back pain among a cohort of Chinese army soldiers. Int J Surg. 2018 Aug;56:288-293. doi: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2018.06.023. Epub 2018 Jun 19. PMID: 29933098.