- Anatomy of The Spine
- Back Pain in Children
- Caring for your Spine
- Emerging Spinecare Trends
- Evaluation of Spinal Disorders
- Exercise and The Spine
- Intervention - Spinal Disorders
- Intervertebral Disc
- Non Surgical Options
- Nutrition and Spinecare
- Options for Spine Treatments
- Pregnancy and Back Pain
- Prevalence of Spine Disorders
- Sleep and the Spine
- Spinecare Introduction
- Spinehealth and Disease
- Surgical Interventions
- Treatment with Medications
- Understanding Back Pain
Spinecare Topics
Caring for your Spine
Smoking and the Spine
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Smoking and the Spine
Smoking and the Spine
According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 48 million adults (25.7 million men and 22.3 million women) were actively smoking in the United States in 1997. The adverse effects of smoking include nicotine addiction and a myriad of internal health conditions which include; increased risk of lung and other types of cancer, higher rates of blood vessel disease, heart disease, musculoskeletal disorders and reduced life expectancy.
Cigarettes contain dried tobacco leaves and multiple chemical additives. There are numerous chemicals within cigarettes that potentiate the effects of tobacco. Some of which are substances that can potentially harm the body when they are burned and inhaled.
The tissues of the spine are living and remodeling. The ability for these tissues to efficiently repair and rebuild depends upon a good blood supply, normal immune function and optimum hormonal influences, factors that are adversely affected by smoking. Cigarette smoking reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood and increases the level of harmful substances delivered to the tissues of the spine such as carbon monoxide. Tissues with a poor blood supply are more sensitive to low blood oxygen levels. Tissues of the spine which have a poor or absent blood supply are the cartilage, ligaments and the intervertebral discs. Smoking is known to be a significant risk factor for degenerative disc disease. Cigarette smoking also depletes vitamin C in the body. Vitamin C is essential for collagen production and tissue repair, collagen is a major protein component of all connective tissues.
Cigarette smoking affects hormone function in both men and women. Smoking has been reported to increase estrogen loss in women who are perimenopausal or postmenopausal. This can result in a loss of normal bone density and lead to the development of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is associated with a loss of bone strength with increased bone fragility. This process typically occurs without obvious signs or symptoms. It is a silent disorder which is responsible for many spine and hip fractures in the United States.
Cigarette smoking increases the risk for complications associated with spine surgery. These risks include post-operative pain, increased inflammation, excessive scar tissue formation (fibrosis), reduced healing time, and impaired bone repair and growth. It also increases the risk for post-operative infection.
According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 48 million adults (25.7 million men and 22.3 million women) were actively smoking in the United States in 1997. The adverse effects of smoking include nicotine addiction and a myriad of internal health conditions which include; increased risk of lung and other types of cancer, higher rates of blood vessel disease, heart disease, musculoskeletal disorders and reduced life expectancy.
Cigarettes contain dried tobacco leaves and multiple chemical additives. There are numerous chemicals within cigarettes that potentiate the effects of tobacco. Some of which are substances that can potentially harm the body when they are burned and inhaled.
The tissues of the spine are living and remodeling. The ability for these tissues to efficiently repair and rebuild depends upon a good blood supply, normal immune function and optimum hormonal influences, factors that are adversely affected by smoking. Cigarette smoking reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood and increases the level of harmful substances delivered to the tissues of the spine such as carbon monoxide. Tissues with a poor blood supply are more sensitive to low blood oxygen levels. Tissues of the spine which have a poor or absent blood supply are the cartilage, ligaments and the intervertebral discs. Smoking is known to be a significant risk factor for degenerative disc disease. Cigarette smoking also depletes vitamin C in the body. Vitamin C is essential for collagen production and tissue repair, collagen is a major protein component of all connective tissues.
Cigarette smoking affects hormone function in both men and women. Smoking has been reported to increase estrogen loss in women who are perimenopausal or postmenopausal. This can result in a loss of normal bone density and lead to the development of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is associated with a loss of bone strength with increased bone fragility. This process typically occurs without obvious signs or symptoms. It is a silent disorder which is responsible for many spine and hip fractures in the United States.
Cigarette smoking increases the risk for complications associated with spine surgery. These risks include post-operative pain, increased inflammation, excessive scar tissue formation (fibrosis), reduced healing time, and impaired bone repair and growth. It also increases the risk for post-operative infection.
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