Smoking is a habit many enjoy and find it difficult to give up. It has, of course, serious repercussions on the health, and this includes the muscular system.
The muscular system comprises of skeletal, smooth and cardiac muscles. The skeletal muscles are located in the joints and bones. The cardiac muscles are found in the heart and the smooth muscles are situated in the veins, arteries, bladder and respiratory system. Smoking can negatively affect these muscles.
Our major concern is to keep our muscles in good shape. Smokers need to cut down on their smoking or give it up completely to ensure that their muscles are not damaged by the smoke they inhale and exhale.
How does smoking affect the muscles?, How Does Tobacco Affect the Muscular System?
- Tobacco affects the development of the muscular system
- Smoking affects the breathing process, which in turn supplies less oxygen to the muscles. This means less energy and such a condition can affect the development of the muscles.
- Smoking destroys the muscle cells.
- Smoking damages the heart muscles and causes several heart diseases.
- Smoking affects the blood flow, as a result there is less blood supply to the muscles.
- Smokers are at risk of suffering from back as well as muscle pain.
- Smokers are prone to arthritis.
- Lupus is a disease causing stiffness of joints. Smokers can suffer from it.
- For body building, smoking is not good.
- Smoking prevents the regeneration of skeletal muscles.
Smoking is bad for health. It can damage our muscular system. Healthy muscles keep our body in good shape.
Studies Relate Smoking To Back Pain
Smoking causes lumbar spondylosis. This was revealed in a study, which threw light on the link between smoking and lower back pain. Nicholas U.Ahn, Chief Resident, Orthopedic Surgeon at the John Hopkins University, as co-author of the study, is of the view that those with a smoking history were prone to lower back pain. More about the study could be found here.
In another study, focus was on the fact that smokers were more likely to suffer from sore- backs. This applies to all, both men and women, manual laborers and white-collar workers. The study (2003) published in the January 2003 issue of Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases states that smoking by itself was the cause for debilitating back pain by about 30 percent. Smoking also was also responsible for pain in the shoulder, elbows, hands, hips and knees.
Nicotine affects the brain processes of sensory stimuli and its pain signals. Smoking can damage tissue in the lower back and in other parts by reducing circulation. It also reduces the flow of nutrients to the muscles and joints. It is also possible that coughing and stooping to pick-up lost cigarettes may cause back pain. Smokers have good reason to give up smoking. After all, they would not like to suffer from back pain.
The back pain is often so severe that a person is unable to perform his daily chores. Tobacco smoking damages the musculosketal tissues as the blood supply to the tissues is reduced. It raises the risks of clots. Smoking causes malnutrition of the disc and makes it vulnerable to mechanical stress.
Smokers now need to think twice whether to smoke or not. Suffering from back pain can be quite awful, and smokers are at a risk. As it is, smoking is considered to be bad for health and back pain can be equally disturbing. These studies help us to understand that by quitting smoking, one reduces the risk of back pain.
1 Comment
Is it the nicotine or the other components of cigarettes that cause this?