Smoking habits and pain tolerance.

Abstract

In 66,410 subjects from the Kaiser-Permanente Multiphasic Screening program the limits of pain tolerance (determined through standardized mechanical pressure on the Achilles tendon) was studied in relation to smoking habits and in respect of age, race, and sex. The results indicate that deep pain tolerance is significantly diminished in white male and female cigarette smokers as compared with nonsmokers, but not in black men or in oriental subjects of either sex. Explanations for these findings are not clear at this time. The effect of smoking on pain perception needs attention but is deemed unlikely. The possible role of constitutional differences between smokers and non- smokers should be considered as well as other possible explanations.