It is a well-known fact that smoking is extremely injurious to health and increases the risk of cancer, lung disease, heart disease, and stroke. However, did you also know that this habit can damage the spine as well? A study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Disease reported that smoking by itself raises the risk of debilitating back pain by about 30 per cent, adding that smoking also makes people slightly more vulnerable to other regional body pains. As such, we decided to decode and understand the link between the two. The link between smoking and spine health According to Dr Manish Kothari, Consultant, Endoscopic Spine Surgeon, Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre, smoking, in general, damages tissue by making the circulation sluggish and reducing the flow of nutrients. "Apart from affecting the blood flow to the heart, nicotine can also narrow the size of the blood vessels and alter the ability of the body to adapt, which can cause damage to the discs, structural ligaments as well as muscles in the back," he said. He continued that the intervertebral discs of the spine, which act as a cushion of the spine and offers flexibility, are impacted by smoking as it causes the breakdown of the disc. "This happens because there is a lack of nutrient exchange where the bone meets the spinal disc. The disc by itself anyways has a poor regeneration ability, and smoking just adds insult to injury by further cutting off the nutrients," he told indianexpress.com. On similar lines, Dr Gururaj Sangondimath, Sr Consultant and Unit Head, Department of Spine Surgery, Indian Spinal Injuries Center, New Delhi said, "Smoking has a direct relationship to slip disc or blackening of the disc. If a person smokes, their disc gets degenerated fast and they are more prone to slip disc issues compared to non-smokers. Moreover, whenever we do surgery on the spine, which is called fusion surgery, we basically fuse one bone with another. But this fusion will not happen if the person is a smoker and the surgery will fail. So, it is mandatory for the person to stop smoking six months before the surgery for it to be successful." In addition to the discs, the bones also become weak, like porous brittle chalk. "This is called osteoporosis or hollow and weakening of bones. Smokers quickly lose collagen and minerals in their bones, which makes them prone to early degeneration and fractures easily," said Dr Kothari. How to improve spine health Dr Sangondimath said that the first and foremost thing is to do regular exercise which can include stretching and core strengthening exercises such as walking, jogging and swimming. "We must also pay attention to the way we sit, stand, walk and sleep. We should always sit straight taking support from backrest and not sit or stand continuously at one place for more than an hour. Additionally, we must be careful when lifting any weight from the ground," he suggested. Concluding, Dr Kothari said, "As reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, smokers who suffer from back pain have good reason to quit smoking immediately. Giving up the habit probably will not immediately reduce back pain, but it's a start to slow recovery. The earlier the better." 📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don't miss out on the latest updates!
