When smoking becomes a pain in the back

Cigarette

Cigarette smokers are more likely to suffer serious back problems than non-smokers, according to research findings at the University of Alabama in the US. Besides suffering from back pain, they are more prone to degenerative diseases of the spine and four time more likely to need spinal fusion surgery. They also recover from back surgery more slowly. It’s thought that tobacco use may weaken the vertebrae. Post-menopausal women smokers are at an added risk because they are already prone to bone loss caused by oestrogen decline.

Published on February 2013