Smoking and Low Back Injuries

Is smoking related to back pain and can smoking affect my Mississippi workers’ comp claim?  Back pain can be one of the most debilitating injuries a person can sustain.  Studies have shown that smoking greatly increases a person’s chances of developing lower back problems.  Basically, smoking causes injury to the vascular structures of spinal discs and joints.  This vascular damage makes a smoker far more likely to develop back problems.  

Trust me, you do not want to have back pain.  Ways to avoid or improve back issues are first, quit smoking.  Second, get to the gym and increase core strength.  Third, walk regularly.  And finally, learn how to turn your upper body without twisting your spine.    

How Does Smoking Affect a Back Injury in Workers’ Comp?

Can smoking adversely affect your Mississippi Workers’ Compensation claim?  To my knowledge, the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission has not highlighted smoking as the cause of a back injury case and has not reduced or denied benefits because a worker smoked.  However, this is no reason not to quit smoking if you do.

Kevin

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill