Smoking
It comes as no surprise that smoking is one of the worst things you can do for your body. While the harmful effects of smoking cannot be felt right away, it slowly but surely damages the body and offers nothing in return. Smoking can also be very harmful to non-smokers in the form of second-hand smoke. As far as the link to back pain, smoking can cause eventual damage to nerves and arteries, specifically the ones close to joints and the discs of the spine. The damage to the arteries will eventually lead to middle back pain in the form of tenderness and stiffness. With enough damage to the nerves and arteries—and the addition of poor lifestyle choices—it can result in a terrible bout of middle back pain among others.
As such, the best thing to do is to avoid smoking at all costs. It also takes the body a long time to fully recover from the effects of smoking, taking as much as 15 years to get the body to such a point. It is not a good idea to start smoking, and smokers should consider quitting sooner rather than later.
