Effects of Smoking on Neuropathic Pain in Two People With Spinal Cord Injury

Background/Objective: To describe an apparent relationship between smoking and the neuropathic painexperience in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Method: Case Reports. Participants/Methods: Two individuals treated at a rehabilitation center. The first was a 38-year-oldwhite man with a T12 SCI,...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The journal of spinal cord medicine 2005-01, Vol.28 (4), p.330-332
Main Authors: Richards, J. Scott, Kogos, Stephen C., Ness, T. J, Oleson, Christina V.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Cigarettes
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Neuropathic pain
Nicotine
Nicotinic
Nociceptors - physiopathology
Original Contribution
Pain - etiology
Pain - physiopathology
Pain Measurement
Paraplegia
Receptors
Receptors, Nicotinic - physiology
Severity of Illness Index
Smoking
Smoking - adverse effects
Smoking - physiopathology
Smoking Cessation
Somatosensory Disorders - physiopathology
Spinal cord injuries
Spinal Cord Injuries - complications
Spinal Cord Injuries - physiopathology
Time Factors
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background/Objective: To describe an apparent relationship between smoking and the neuropathic painexperience in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Method: Case Reports. Participants/Methods: Two individuals treated at a rehabilitation center. The first was a 38-year-oldwhite man with a T12 SCI, American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale (AIS) A, secondary tomotor vehicle crash. Duration of injury was 14 years. He reported burning pain in his legs, and has smokedVz pack per day for the last 15 years. The second was a 55-year-old African American man with a T6 SCI, AISA, secondary to gunshot wound. Duration of injury was 22 years. He was a 40-year Vz to 1 pack per daysmoker, who, after injury, consistently experienced burning, radicular pain, rated 7∕1 0, around the level ofthe injury. Summary: The first subject rated his pain as 4∕1 0 when not smoking and 7∕1 0 when smoking. The painsubsided 30 minutes after smoking was discontinued. He noted an immediate increase in neuropathic painwhen smoking. The second subject quit smoking for 1 month and immediately noted that the paindisappeared, rating it 0∕10. After he resumed smoking, his radicular pain was 8.5∕1 0 in the morning and 5∕1 0in afternoon. Conclusions: No similar reports have been published, based on a MEDLINE search. Nicotinic receptorshave been implicated in pain perception. It is unclear to what extent these 2 cases generalize to the SCIpopulation. We plan to explore this via survey and experimental research. Smoking cessation may havea dual benefit of increased health and decreased neuropathic pain.
ISSN:1079-0268
2045-7723
DOI:10.1080/10790268.2005.11753829