A Look Back At Tiger Woods’ Back Pain Journey
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Do you want to know about Tiger Woods back pain and how he managed to relieve it? Back pain is a common condition that affects more than 80% of people in the United States at some point in their lives.
Tiger Woods is a professional golfer who has won many major championships. However, his back pain has taken a toll on his illustrious career, causing him to withdraw from several tournaments. In today’s article, we will discuss Tiger Woods back pain journey. Read on!
Tiger Woods Back Pain Journey
Tiger Woods withdrew from a major tournament in May 2010 after getting through the final round. Woods complained of a tingling sensation in his body’s right side. Doctors suspected that Woods had a herniated disc. However, they hadn’t confirmed it.
Three years later, in August 2013, Tiger Woods had a stiff neck and played nine holes in a major tournament. Woods dropped to the ground with visible pain in his neck during the thirteenth hole.
Tiger Woods said that the soft mattress in his hotel room could have caused the pain. That’s why our surgeon Plano TX recommends using a high-quality mattress. In March 2014, Tiger Woods withdrew from the Honda Classic with back pain.
Tiger would feel pain in his back while stretching or making movements. Tiger Woods back pain aggravated when he was playing the sixth hole. In April 2014, the champion golfer underwent microdiscectomy surgery to relieve his pinched nerve.
Microdiscectomy is a surgery Plano TX performed to back pain due to a herniated disc. The herniated disc compressed his nerve and caused pain. The surgeon removed the herniated disc using a special microscope to view the spinal structures, including the disc and surrounding area.
After Woods’ first microdiscectomy surgery in 2014, his performance was not up to the mark and caused him to miss six cuts out of fifteen events. That’s why he underwent a second microdiscectomy surgery and a follow-up surgery in 2015.
Tiger Woods Back Pain – ALIF Surgery
Woods underwent minimally invasive surgery to relieve chronic spinal spasms and sciatic pain in his legs. Bear in mind that this was Woods’ fourth surgery, known as ALIF that stands for anterior lumbar interbody fusion.
Dr. Richard Guyer, a qualified surgeon, performed the surgery. During the procedure, Dr. Guyer made a small incision in the front to reach the lumbar spine. Then, Dr. Guyer used specialized tools to remove a portion of the degenerated disc between L5 and S1.
Besides, Dr. Guyer replaced the damaged disc with a bone graft material. The primary goal of ALIF surgery is to stabilize the spine and reduce painful symptoms. Because Tiger had undergone back surgeries, it was impossible to perform another surgery posteriorly.
That’s why Dr. Guyer recommended him the ALIF surgery that requires the surgeon to make a tiny incision in the front or belly to approach the lumbar spine. ALIF surgery provides greater results with minimal scarring and spares the delicate muscles and nerves in the spine.
Benefits of ALIF Surgery Plano TX
ALIF surgery Plano TX is an effective procedure that treats painful disc degeneration, instability, spinal imbalance, deformity, and spondylolisthesis. According to MINT’s surgeon Plano TX, ALIF is a well-tolerated procedure that leads to a faster recovery than spinal fusion performed from a posterior approach.
Not only does ALIF surgery allows for placing a much larger cage than other fusion surgeries, but it also allows better correction of imbalance or deformity in the spine. That’s why ALIF surgery was a miracle for Tiger Woods back pain that led to better long-term outcomes. In addition, ALIF surgery allowed Woods to come back to professional golf, participate in the 2019 Masters’ tournament and win it with pride.
ALIF surgery performed through a minimally invasive approach leads to less blood loss during the procedure. It also leads to less scarring and damage to the delicate spinal structures, including muscles, tissues, tendons, ligaments, and nerves. Therefore, it is a much better procedure than PLIF, XLIF, TLIF, and other fusion surgeries.
Contact MINT Today
Many people use over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as NSAIDs to treat back pain. Some people also undergo heat and ice therapy, physical therapy, acupuncture, and perform stretching exercises to relieve back pain.
However, if your lumbar spine pain persists for more than two months, it is time to talk to MINT’s surgeon Plano TX. You can relieve spinal pain like Tiger Woods back pain by undergoing a minimally invasive ALIF surgery Plano TX. Contact us today!
