A study published in the August issue of the Journal of Pain suggests a link between chronic pain and cigarette smoking. The authors surveyed 6,092 female respondents older than 18 years of age on pain and smoking. Chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia, sciatica, chronic neck pain, chronic back pain, joint pain, chronic head pain, nerve problems, and pain all over the body were included in the analysis. The authors found that women who were daily smokers reported more chronic pain (defined as the presence of any reported chronic pain syndromes) than women who were never smokers. In addition, the authors noted an increased risk of chronic pain among what they termed "some-day" smokers and among former smokers. (From: AAOS Headline News Now - August 24, 2011).

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