We all know that smoking is not good for your health. It causes lung cancer, strokes and coronary heart disease, to name just a few.
However, many people don’t realise that smoking is also harmful to your musculoskeletal system. Smoking can increase your risk of developing bone and joint conditions, and can also have an impact on your recovery from a musculoskeletal injury or surgery.
In this article we discuss a number of the problems smoking can have on your bones and joints.
According to research conducted by Petre et al from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in 2014, people with sub-acute back pain who smoked were three times more likely to progress to persistent back pain than non-smokers¹. MRI findings indicated that smoking is changing how the pain signal is interpreted and processed in the brain, but further research is required to fully understand what is happening.
Studies have also shown that smoking may be directly responsible for intervertebral disc degeneration as it causes cell damage in the annulus and nucleus.
Smokers are more likely to suffer overuse injuries such as bursitis or tendonitis, and traumatic injuries such as sprains and fractures, than non-smokers. Fractures and broken bones take longer to heal in smokers, and for some people broken bones do not heal in smokers. This slow bone healing is due to nicotine negatively effecting the production of bone-forming cells. In addition, smokers who do heal are more likely to have persistent pain and other complications afterwards.
There is growing evidence that cigarette smoking adversely affects spinal fusion healing. New bone growth is necessary for a fusion to heal and smoking disrupts the body’s system that contribute to bone formation and growth.
Smoking leads to an increased risk of developing osteoporosis, a weakness of bone that causes fractures. People with osteoporosis have a much higher risk of fractures, particularly of the hip and vertebra. Women who smoke also tend to have an earlier menopause than non-smokers, another risk factor for osteoporosis.
The tobacco in cigarettes decreases your bone density as it adversely affects your bone cells. It reduces the blood supply to your bones, it slows the production of bone-forming cells (osteoblasts) so they make less bone, it reduces calcium absorption required for bone mineralisation, and it increases the speed at which oestrogen is broken down, a hormone that helps protect your bones.
Evidence of smoking causing decreased bone mineral density and roughly one in eight hip fractures was demonstrated in a meta-analysis in 1997 of 29 published cross-sectional studies². They concluded that the cumulative excess bone loss over decades is substantial and by age 80 this can translate into 6% lower bone mineral density. Hip fracture risk among smokers compared to non-smokers is estimated to be 17% greater at age 60, 41% greater at 70, 71% greater at 80, 108% greater at 90.
Rotator cuff (shoulder) tears
Studies have suggested that smoking is associated with the development of rotator cuff tears and often smokers develop larger tears than non-smokers.
Nicotine is a potent vasoconstrictor and decreases the delivery of oxygen to tissues as well as carbon monoxide decreasing cellular oxygen tension levels necessary for cellular metabolism, and is probably related to tendon quality in smokers.
Some research has also shown a negative correlation with tobacco consumption and wound repair at surgical sites. Nicotine delays and inhibits tendon to bone healing, which is required to recover from rotator cuff surgery.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease caused by both genetic and environmental factors. RA causes your body’s immune system, that normally protects your body from attacks by foreign substances, to mistakenly attack your joints and causes swelling and pain in and around them.
Smoking has been implicated as one of the most important risk factors for RA development and severity. Smokers also have an increased risk of more-severe rheumatoid arthritis and they are less likely to experience remission. Smoking decreases the effectiveness of some drugs used to treat RA.
Many people with rheumatoid arthritis aren't aware that smoking is making their condition worse.
Sote tunajua kwamba kuvuta sigareti si jambo zuri kwa afya yako. Husababisha kansa ya mapafu, kiharusi na ugonjwa wa moyo, ili tu taja chache. Hata hivyo, watu wengi hawajui kwamba kuvuta sigara pia ni hatari kwa mfumo wako wa misuli na mifupa. Kuvuta sigara kunaweza kuongeza hatari ya kuambukizwa magonjwa ya mifupa na viungo, na pia inaweza kuwa na athari kwa kupona kwako kutoka kwa jeraha la misuli au upasuaji. Katika makala hii, tutazungumzia baadhi ya madhara ambayo kuvuta sigareti kunaweza kusababisha kwa mifupa na viungo. Kulingana na utafiti uliofanywa na Petro et al kutoka Chuo Kikuu cha Northwestern cha Feinberg cha Tiba mnamo 2014, watu walio na maumivu ya mgongo ya chini ya makali ambao walivuta sigara walikuwa na uwezekano wa mara tatu zaidi wa kuendeleza maumivu ya mgongo ya kudumu kuliko wasio wavutaji sigara. Utafiti wa MRI unaonyesha kuwa uvutaji sigara unabadilisha jinsi ishara ya maumivu inavyoeleweka na kusindika katika ubongo, lakini utafiti zaidi unahitajika kuelewa kikamilifu nini kinachotokea. Utafiti pia umeonyesha kwamba kuvuta sigara kunaweza kusababisha uharibifu wa diski ya kati ya uti wa mgongo kwa sababu husababisha uharibifu wa seli katika annulus na nucleus. Wauvi wana uwezekano mkubwa wa kupata majeraha ya matumizi ya kupita kiasi kama vile bursitis au tendonitis, na majeraha ya kiwewe kama vile sprains na fractures, kuliko wasio wavutaji sigara. Mvunjiko wa mifupa huchukua muda mrefu zaidi kwa wavutaji wa sigara, na kwa watu wengine mifupa iliyovunjika haiponyeki. Uponyaji huu wa mifupa wa polepole husababishwa na nikotini inayoathiri vibaya utengenezaji wa chembe zinazotengeneza mifupa. Kwa kuongezea, wavutaji sigareti wanaopona wana uwezekano mkubwa zaidi wa kuwa na maumivu ya kudumu na matatizo mengine baadaye. Kuna uthibitisho unaozidi kuongezeka kwamba kuvuta sigareti huathiri vibaya uponyaji wa mshuko wa uti wa mgongo. Ukuaji mpya wa mifupa ni muhimu kwa ajili ya mchanganyiko wa kuponya na uvutaji sigara huvuruga mfumo wa mwili ambao huchangia muundo wa mifupa na ukuaji. Uvutaji sigareti huongeza hatari ya kupatwa na ugonjwa wa mifupa, udhaifu wa mifupa unaosababisha kuvunjika. Watu wenye ugonjwa wa mifupa wana hatari kubwa zaidi ya kuvunjika, hasa ya kiuno na uti wa mgongo. Wanawake wanaovuta sigara pia huwa na msimu wa kupumzika mapema kuliko wale wasiovuta sigara, jambo lingine linaloweza kusababisha ugonjwa wa mifupa. Tumbaku katika sigara hupunguza unene wa mifupa yako kwa sababu huathiri vibaya chembe za mifupa yako. Inapunguza usafirishaji wa damu kwa mifupa, hupunguza uzalishaji wa chembe zinazotengeneza mifupa (osteoblasts) ili kutengeneza mifupa kidogo, hupunguza kunyonya kwa kalsiamu inayohitajika kwa mineralization ya mifupa, na huongeza kasi ambayo estrojeni huvunjwa, homoni ambayo husaidia kulinda mifupa yako. Utafiti wa mwaka 1997 wa utafiti wa utafiti wa 29 uliotolewa na utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti wa utafiti. Kwa mujibu wa utafiti huo, kupoteza mifupa kwa miaka mingi ni muhimu na kufikia umri wa miaka 80, hii inaweza kutafsiri katika kiwango cha chini cha madini ya mifupa. Uwezekano wa kuvunjika kwa kiuno kwa watu wanaovuta sigara ni mkubwa kwa asilimia 17 katika umri wa miaka 60 na asilimia 41 katika umri wa miaka 70 na asilimia 71 katika umri wa miaka 80 na asilimia 108 katika umri wa miaka 90. Matatizo ya rotator cuff (mabega) Matatizo ya rotator cuff (mabega) Matatizo ya rotator cuff (mabega) Matatizo ya rotator cuff (mabega) Matatizo ya rotator cuff (mabega) Matatizo ya rotator cuff (mabega) Matatizo ya rotator cuff (mabega) Matatizo ya rotator cuff (mabega) Matatizo ya rotator cuff (mabega) Nikotini ni vasoconstrictor nguvu na hupunguza utoaji wa oksijeni kwa tishu, pamoja na kaboni monoksidi, kupunguza viwango vya oksijeni ya seli muhimu kwa kimetaboliki ya seli, na pengine inahusiana na ubora wa tendon katika wavutaji sigara. Utafiti fulani pia umeonyesha uhusiano mbaya na matumizi ya tumbaku na uponyaji wa majeraha katika maeneo ya upasuaji. Nikotini huchelewesha na kuzuia uponyaji wa tendon hadi mifupa, ambayo inahitajika kupona kutokana na upasuaji wa rotator cuff. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) ni ugonjwa wa autoimmune unaosababishwa na vimelea na mazingira. RA husababisha mfumo wa kinga wa mwili wako, ambao kwa kawaida hulinda mwili wako dhidi ya mashambulizi ya vitu vya kigeni, kwa makosa kushambulia viungo vyako na kusababisha uvimbe na maumivu ndani na karibu nao. Uvutaji sigara ni moja ya sababu za hatari za kuambukiza ugonjwa wa RA. Wavuvi pia wana hatari kubwa ya kupatwa na ugonjwa wa viungo vya mwili wenye ugonjwa wa rheumatoid na hawawezi kupona. Kuvuta sigareti hupunguza ufanisi wa dawa fulani zinazotumiwa kutibu RA. Watu wengi walio na ugonjwa wa nyundo za uti wa mgongo hawajui kwamba kuvuta sigareti kunafanya hali yao iwe mbaya zaidi.