Health is everyone’s concern. We all are looking for better health and good quality of life. Every time a new patient comes to our office, we start by finding out what is their main complaint, by asking questions about their health status and habits.
We talk about posture, nutrition, exercise and other health habits like stress levels and smoking. Even though some people may think that smoking has nothing to do with their spine, we now know that there is a direct correlation between smoking and intervertebral disc disease leading to low back pain.
It is of high importance to chiropractors because even though chiropractic care is primarily preventative, low back pain is the number one complaint that prompts people to seek our help. Researchers discovered that smoking not only leads to hypertension and coronary artery disease, all of which are risk factors for occlusion of the arteries, but was also significantly associated with the development of low back pain. It suggests that smokers have a 3-4 times higher risk of developing degenerative disc disease and that smoking can exacerbate pre-existing disc degeneration.
The intervertebral discs are the cushions between the vertebral bones that provide a buffer for compression between vertebrae. A disc looks like a sponge and it acts like a shock absorber and keeps the vertebra from putting pressure on the nerves.
The cushioning ability of your discs is based on their water content. Smoking actually decreases the amount of water in your discs and with less water content, your intervertebral discs can wear out sooner.
It is the nicotine that deprives disc cells of vital nutrients. In addition to nicotine, smokers introduce carbon monoxide into the blood stream and from there into body tissues. These poisons inhibit the discs’ ability to absorb the nutrients they need from the blood. The result can be prematurely dehydrated, less pliable discs – degenerated discs.As the discs become more and more malnourished, there is a greater risk of a ruptured disc. This occurs when the disc contents break through the outer layer of the disc, often impinging on nerves and causing great pain, numbness and, in some cases, nerve damage in the legs or arms.
Coughing is also a factor that affects discs and we know it is more prevalent among smokers. Coughing causes increased pressure by adding strain on the spine and discs, creating greater risk of disc bulges and ruptures, especially in a spine already weakened because of smoking-related toxins.
Inactivity is also frequently associated with the smoker’s lifestyle. It can result in a higher frequency of back pain in general, and unfortunately pain associated with degenerative disc disease can make an active lifestyle more difficult to enjoy.
The benefits of quitting smoking are tremendous. After only half-an-hour, your heart rate will slow down. After three months your circulation and lung function will improve and after one year you cut in half your risk of coronary heart disease.
Another factor that puts your discs under pressure is vertebral misalignment and lack of proper joint mobility. Just as people who experience a heart attack do not feel their arteries clogging, you may not feel your vertebral dysfunctions until you suffer an episode of back or neck pain. Get your spine checked by a chiropractor.
Prevention is the key to stay healthy for as long as possible. First you will avoid pain medication, hospitalisations and injections, and you will be more prone to practice a sport or a physical activity that will maintain you feeling young and at an ultimate weight which also plays a significant role in disc health.
In the New Year, put your health first, quit smoking and get your spine chiropractically adjusted. You will only see benefits.
From all of us at Algarve Quiroprática, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a healthy happy New Year.
By Sandra Genest-Boudreau | Christophe Alves
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Sandra Genest-Boudreau is French-Canadian, who graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 1990 before coming to the Algarve in 2002. She is passionate about adjusting all her patients, particularly children. Christophe Alves graduated from the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic (AECC) UK, and has a special interest in Sport Chiropractic. Algarve Quiroprática clinic: EN125 in Pêra | 282 312 853 |
969 397 375
