The disease occurs when the spinal canal narrows, putting pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. This condition often develops with age. However, researchers assessed the narrowing of nicotine to blood flow and the promotion of inflammation is believed to contribute to the process.
The researchers examined the data of 331,941 construction workers who are part of a national health register in Sweden. Workers followed an average of more than three decades, beginning as they were 30 years old and 1,623 of whom eventually underwent surgery for lumbar spine stenosis.
The study found, compared to people who did not smoke, heavy smokers who had at least 15 cigarettes a day were 46 percent more likely to have this spine surgery. For heavy smokers who have up to 14 cigarettes a day, the risks increase by 31 percent, while former smokers have a 13 percent higher chance of surgery.
"Smoking appears to be a risk factor for developing a back space constriction that could lead to surgical treatment," says study author Dr. Dr. Arkan Sayed-Noor, a researcher at Umea University, was quoted by Reuters on Sunday (7/1).
According to him, quitting smoking can reduce the risks. Several previous studies have linked smoking with worse outcomes of spine surgery. The current study offers new evidence that it may also increase the likelihood of back pain that requires surgery.
Overall, 44 percent of the study participants were non-smokers, 16 percent were former smokers, while 26 percent were regular smokers and 14 percent were heavy smokers. The association between smoking and spinal surgery persists, even after researchers take into account other factors that may increase the likelihood of back pain such as aging and obesity.
Smoking damages the spine in several ways, one of which is Nicotine, which can damage the spinal cord, weakens the bones and makes the back pain worse. Heavy smokers are also often accompanied by irregular lifestyle that can cause muscle weakness and increase tension in the lower back.
One of the limitations in this study is that researchers lack data about exercise habits. Most of the construction workers in this study were male, and the results may differ for women.
"However, the findings add to evidence linking cigarettes with disk damage and back pain," said Dr. Jean Wong, a researcher at the University of Toronto who was not involved in the study.
Wong adds, there are some short-term and long-term health reasons for smokers to quit smoking. By quitting smoking, smokers can reduce the risk of back pain due to disk degeneration and spinal stenosis, which can be a debilitating problem in smokers.
"While it may take a lot of effort, quitting smoking is the best thing a smoker can do to minimize the risk of spinal stenosis and other health problems," Wong said.
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