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Addictive behaviours and chronic pain are linked?

Stuart333

Bit of a random snippet of info.

I was watching a mandatory manual handling refresher.

They mentioned that:

Studies have found a link between smoking and back pain. One study in America concluded that smokers are 3 times more likely than non-smokers to develop chronic back pain.

This is thought to be because the brain pathways involved in addiction are also related to those implicated in the development of chronic pain, making smokers less resilient to the pain of back injury.

I thought it might be interesting in light of our repetitive and sometimes addictive  behaviours, and the fact some struggle with pain. (I don't have chronic pain, I have some reduced sensitivity or at least can block it out.)

I guess it is also not helped by things like paracetamol giving people brain fog. I avoid painkillers.

Parents

  • I'm wondering if a better link to chronic pain is poverty?

    I believe that people who are poor or struggle financially are more likely to develop addictions such as smoking and drinking alcohol. But there are other factors too, such as the poor are more likely to work in physically demanding jobs, and the stress of worry about money may cause tension in the body.

    Autistic people are more likely to be poor, as we often find it difficult to work, and because our needs are often not met properly we may under perform in school and then only be able to find low paid jobs, sometimes which are very demanding for us and cause anxiety and tension.

  • in reply to Lotus

    All very good points, Lotus.

    Another thing that contributes to chronic pain is trauma, cPTSD and PTSD give rise to to much adreniline in the body with nowhere for it to go and apparently it settles in the joints, if you're really unlucky you'll get adrenal burnout, which is horrible and yet I suspect underdiagnosed because as a society and in our medicine were slow to recognise that mental trauma leaves physical reactions as well as emotional ones.

    I wonder what part inheritance plays in things like arthritis and rhumatism, they do seem to run in families?

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  • in reply to Lotus

    All very good points, Lotus.

    Another thing that contributes to chronic pain is trauma, cPTSD and PTSD give rise to to much adreniline in the body with nowhere for it to go and apparently it settles in the joints, if you're really unlucky you'll get adrenal burnout, which is horrible and yet I suspect underdiagnosed because as a society and in our medicine were slow to recognise that mental trauma leaves physical reactions as well as emotional ones.

    I wonder what part inheritance plays in things like arthritis and rhumatism, they do seem to run in families?

Children
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