Still Smoking? I Wish You Wouldn't....

Everyday, I pass people in their cars, windows rolled up because it's freezing. And what do they have in their hand? A lit cigarette. I get it, everyone has a vice but smoking is so incredibly destructive to your health, not only for your lungs but your spine!

In a publication of SpineLine, Dr. Paul Slozar, Dr. Richard Perkins, and Dr. Derek Snook presented data studies that link smoking to osteoporosis and compression fractures, back pain, disc disease and wound healing problems. Tobacco use has been shown to cause increased non- union rates and failures in spinal fusion surgery.

While smoking is highly publicized as a cancer causing agent little has been said linking smoking to spine health. We all should know that cigarette smoking can cause increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and poor circulation but specifically for your spine health, the overall effect of cigarette smoking decreases the ability of the blood to carry oxygen. Do you know what happens when the brain doesn’t get oxygen? You have a stroke or heart attack. A portion of the heart or brain tissue ‘dies’ and Cigarette smoking produces a similar effect in the spine.

You don’t hear much about this side effect of smoking. In plain language, cigarette smoking decreases the ability of the blood vessels to carry nutrients to living tissue (bone and disc). Long term, this damage has devastating effects on bone physiology, wound healing and disc nutrition. The spine is my business. Help me help you! :)

Dr. Gary Callioni
Chiropractic Rehab Center of NKY
www.NKYChiropractor.com
(859)331-9566