Smoking and back pain.

• Position: Medical Update - Brief Article

Smoking is bad for your back, too. Investigators say smoking reduces the supply of blood and oxygen to the back. Without adequate nutrition, discs and bones lose strength and resilience.

"There are no blood vessels in the disc itself," explains Indianapolis-based orthopedic surgeon Dr. Rick Sasso. "Vital nutrients diffuse into the disc from a network of small blood vessels in the adjacent bones of the spine. Smoking narrows blood vessels, decreasing capillary flow to...