When i smoke my neck hurts?

Have you ever taken a puff from your cigarette and suddenly felt like someone was stepping on the back of your neck? Or maybe you’ve noticed that every time you smoke, your neck starts to hurt. No need to fret, my smoking friend! You’re not alone – many people experience this pain when they light up their cancer stick. So let’s dive into why we feel pain in our necks when we smoke and what we can do about it.

What Causes Neck Pain When Smoking?

The simple answer is that smoking affects circulation – big surprise. Nicotine, the addictive substance found in cigarettes or other tobacco products, causes blood vessels throughout the body to constrict (get smaller). As a result, less oxygen-rich blood flow reaches different areas of our bodies causing us discomfort. This can lead to muscle fatigue or irritation, including those muscles located at the back of our necks.

Let’s Talk Anatomy

When discussing how nicotine affects cervical (neck) muscles after lighting up one’s cancer stick (puffing), we must first understand which specific skeletal muscular system gets affected by nicotine intake. The skeletal muscles that are directly related are called suboccipital muscles; these four small paired cervical spine soft-tissue structures exist beneath/adjacent-to occiput bone.

Rectus capitis posterior minor
Obliquus capitis superior
Rectus capitis posterior major
Obliquus capitis inferior.

These suboccipital muscles essentially stabilize both craniocervical junction as well as atlantoaxial joint(s).

Smoke-induced Muscle Cramping

Now imagine holding a book over head with raised arms for several minutes – not fun right?! This motion fatigues arm muscles and produces an ache-like sensation which only subsides once relaxed. Similarly, the suboccipital muscles become extremely tense and fatigued each time one smokes a cigarette out of leisure. Thus we experience pain due to muscle strain caused by repeated contractions.

Nicotine-Induced Inflammation

Nicotine intake can also cause inflammation in our bodies since it stimulates the release of chemical messengers known as “cytokines”. When produced in small amounts, cytokines work to protect our cells from abnormalities, but excessive amounts can actually damage tissue- causing death (apoptosis) or even threaten neurological functions. The resulting inflammation leads to symptoms such as swelling, redness, stinging sensations – and you guessed it – neck pain!

Correcting Your Posture May Help

Another reason for this dreaded neck ache is poor posture which increases tension on your spinal cord & any fatigued muscles equally; Overtime these deleterious cycles cause chronic pain. Correcting posture may help reduce workload on cervical spine musculature and minimize discomfort caused by nicotine.

How do I Relieve Neck Pain when Smoking?

Having established potential sources of smoking-induced neck pains let’s dive into what smokers experiencing agony around craniocervical junctions should consider doing if they want to enjoy their nasty habit without physical distress.

Optimize Ergonomics & Stretch Routine

First off go see an expert chiropractor or physiotherapist familiar with ergonomic optimization. Making tiny changes during smoking sessions like using a chair for upright posture whilst keeping head forward so that hindrance between back/spine disappears.

Secondly incorporating light stretches before initiating puff-puff-pass routine helps increase oxygen yield decreasing chances of ischemia developed due contraction fatigue.

Practice Yawning

Sounds bizarre but trust us (and science), continuous smoking can lead to intercostals muscle contractions which limit airflow during sleep giving credence towards fatigue chronically induced by nicotine toxins now limited oxygen availability as well; Solution: practice deep inhaling through nose – mouth slowly opening feeling air go down throat while thinking about genuinely yawning (not the fake jump-scaring ones). Repeat until comfortable.

Conclusion

So there you have it – neck pain when smoking certainly doesn’t have to be a pain in the butt. By understanding how we become afflicted with such soreness when inhaling and taking care of our cervical spine/neck musculature, smokers alike may continue puffing away without worrying too much about potential pains caused by their favorite pastime.

At least try distracting yourself from throat cancer, king-sized tumors, emphysema or another type of frightening lung disease that could very well lie ahead! That’s all folks smoke medicinally… kidding.

Disclaimer: Please consult your nearest medical professional/podiatrist orthopedist if symptoms persist after attempting general relief options listed above.

Thank you for reading this informative article on possible remedies (Joke intended)

Dane Raynor

Hey there, I’m Dane Raynor, and I’m all about sharing fascinating knowledge, news, and hot topics. I’m passionate about learning and have a knack for simplifying complex ideas. Let’s explore together!