Over the past two decades, researchers have uncovered a strong correlation between smoking and back pain. The more you smoke, the more bothersome the pain.
Oxygen must be present in order to maintain healthy discs and ligaments in order to prevent back injury or to achieve full recovery after a back injury or surgery. Two chemicals found in cigarette smoke, carbon monoxide and nicotine, effectively reduces the level of oxygen in the tissues of the back. Carbon monoxide decreases the percentage of oxygen and nutrients in the blood, whereas nicotine constricts blood vessels. This "double whammy"markedly reduces availability of oxygen to starving tissues trying to maintain or build strength.
Smoking and Back Pain