A new study has found that giving up smoking can significantly
reduce the pain experienced by people with back problems. BMJ
Group News What do we know already? Nearly all adults will see a
doctor for back pain or spine problems at some point in their
lives. Previous studies have found links between smoking and an
increased risk of back pain and problems affecting your spine.
Research has also shown that if you have back surgery and you
smoke there is a greater likelihood of having complications
after your operation, or of the surgery not working so well.
This study looked at 5,333 people treated for a spinal problem.
They were asked about their pain and how it affected them over a
period of eight months. The results showed that people who had
never smoked or who had given up smoking before having treatment
had less back pain than people who were currently smoking, or
who gave up smoking during treatment. People who gave up smoking
while having treatment also showed an improvement in pain.
People who continue