http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/health-safety-e-smoking/18720-back-pain.html
I didn't want to necro a 2 year old thread. I'm hopeing someone may have better info, links to recent studies about osteo-arthritis and nicotine usage; specifically spinal OA.
To my huge dismay I was recently diagnosed, and after getting the bad news and asking what I can do to reduce symptoms and inhibit degeneration, the first thing my GP said was I need to "quit the smoking." I told her I'd already done that and pulled out my PV. "But you're still using nicotine, right?" No acknowlegement of getting off a 20+ year cigarette habit... grrr. I told her yes, and I also drink several cups of coffee a day. This is when she told me that nicotine usage specifically exacerbates OA of the spine.
I just kicked cigs, got into a new hobby I love, and still enjoy many benifits of nicotine usage so I wasn't going to take her knee-jerk response at face value. (she's not even a doctor, but a PA.) Google found me 8-10 various studies about arthritis and nicotine usage, though they were all done before PV's became widely available.
Many of the studies suggested benifits of nicotine to arthrits suffers including inflamation reduction and a protection of afflicted joints. But most if not all the studies focused on rheumitoid arthritis, and none I found studied back pain or OA. (most were focused on knees, shoulders, hands and wrists.)
So I'm looking for more recent info. Has anyone come across anything that isn't well indexed with Google? White papers, any links?
I'm not ready to give up my nicotine, especially to uninformed opinion.
Thanks.
I didn't want to necro a 2 year old thread. I'm hopeing someone may have better info, links to recent studies about osteo-arthritis and nicotine usage; specifically spinal OA.
To my huge dismay I was recently diagnosed, and after getting the bad news and asking what I can do to reduce symptoms and inhibit degeneration, the first thing my GP said was I need to "quit the smoking." I told her I'd already done that and pulled out my PV. "But you're still using nicotine, right?" No acknowlegement of getting off a 20+ year cigarette habit... grrr. I told her yes, and I also drink several cups of coffee a day. This is when she told me that nicotine usage specifically exacerbates OA of the spine.
I just kicked cigs, got into a new hobby I love, and still enjoy many benifits of nicotine usage so I wasn't going to take her knee-jerk response at face value. (she's not even a doctor, but a PA.) Google found me 8-10 various studies about arthritis and nicotine usage, though they were all done before PV's became widely available.
Many of the studies suggested benifits of nicotine to arthrits suffers including inflamation reduction and a protection of afflicted joints. But most if not all the studies focused on rheumitoid arthritis, and none I found studied back pain or OA. (most were focused on knees, shoulders, hands and wrists.)
So I'm looking for more recent info. Has anyone come across anything that isn't well indexed with Google? White papers, any links?
I'm not ready to give up my nicotine, especially to uninformed opinion.
Thanks.
