Stop smoking. Stop pain

Smoking cigarettes has been around for decades, and although participants understand the risks of smoking, most can’t seem to quit the bad habit. Everyone knows the dangers that smoking can cause, most notably being lung cancer, but there has recently been a discovery of another health risk that constant smokers could obtain from their daily puffs of smoke.

Chronic back pain is known to be on the most common medical problems in the U.S. and 8 out of 10 people will most likely struggle with it at one point in life. For those who indulge in a smoke break every now and then though, may have a higher risk.

Chronic pain is something that has already been connected with smoking in the past, but a recent study has made a distinct connection between smoking and chronic back pain. Smoking increases brain activity which also reduces the resilience to chronic back pain. This reduction in resilience means that smokers are three times more likely to experience chronic back pain than nonsmokers are. Since this connection has been discovered, researchers have come to a conclusion that there may be a link between chronic pain and addiction in general. Addiction can be a hard battle to win, but with the threats of chronic pain looming behind it, the road to recovery is the best option.

The good news is that it is as simple as quitting the habit—which isn’t an easy task—and the risk of chronic back pain will be significantly lowered. If you are struggling with quitting your addiction—whether it is smoking, or something else more serious such as opioids or other drugs —then visit our substance abuse treatment page to learn more.

This blog is written for informational purposes only and should not be a substitute for actual medical treatment. Please contact the APM Augusta office to schedule an appointment if you are in need of medical care.