Connection between smoking and back pain--findings from an Icelandic general population study.

The association between pain in general, back pain and smoking was studied in a sample of subjects from the general public (n = 862). The results show that smoking men had pain problems more frequently than women (p < 0.0001). In comparison with non-smokers, smokers were found to have back pains more frequently (p < 0.01). Male smokers were also found to have a higher frequency of intervertebral disc problems than female smokers (p < 0.009). The frequency of disc problems encountered by the smoking subjects indicates a possible connection between smoking and back pain.