fbpx
Clinics are still open. We’re extra diligent to keep our clients safe. Read our COVID-19 Policy before you arrive.

Smoking makes back pain worse

A new study published in the medical journal Human Brain Mapping and shared by the Express has revealed that people who smoke are three times as likely to develop chronic back pain as those who don’t.

Although this isn’t the first study to suggest that smoking has an impact on your likelihood of developing back pain, it is the first time research has indicated that “smoking interferes with the brain circuit associated with pain, making smokers more prone to chronic back pain,” the newspaper explained.

However, it did note that this was an observational study and doesn’t conclusively prove that there’s a link between smoking and chronic back pain.

There are two main types of back pain that people present with – nonspecific where a direct cause can’t be identified, and mechanical, which means the pain is coming from the joints, bones or soft tissues surrounding the spine.

People can carry out a number of self care activities to help alleviate back pain. You may also want to book a tui na massage in Chester to see if this can provide some relief if you suffer from this kind of pain.

Last month, research revealed that almost one-fifth of Brits are suffering from back pain, showing just how widespread the problem is.

What’s more, it’s thought that this figure underestimates the scale of the problem because only people who were in pain at the time of the survey and who had been in pain for at least three months were counted as part of Public Health England’s figures.

Thanks,

Matthew Budd BSc (Hons)