Role of smoking and caffeine in chronic back pain

الملخص EN

We investigated the relation between chronic back pain and some of the risk factors as smoking, caffeine and tea consumption.

Material: Twenty chronic back pain patients and ten normal subjects who served as controls furnished the material of the study.

They were matched in age and sex.

Methods: They were subjected to thorough history taking and clinical examination, x-rays to lumbo-sacral region and CT scan and MRI when needed only.

Results: There was a highly significant difference between patients and controls as regards caffeine and tea intake while no significant difference for smoking.

The predictor index for the disease was caffeine (>28ml) and tea (>2.8ml).

They were the most sensitive predictors for the disease.

Conclusion: Chronic back pain patients consume larger amounts of caffeine and tea more than those without back pain.