Tiger Woods’ Golfing Career And Back Pain
Image sourced from Freepik
Tiger Woods’ Golfing Career is very dramatic because he has seen many ups and downs throughout the years. Tiger has won numerous major golf tournaments, but at the same time, he has suffered from many injuries. In today’s article, we will discuss Tiger Woods’ back pain and how he overcomes it. Read on!
Tiger Woods’ Golfing Career and Back Pain
In 2010, Tiger Woods withdrew from a golf tournament after completing half of the final round. Tiger felt a tingling sensation on his right side. Doctors suspected that Woods might be suffering from a herniated disc. However, they did not confirm it.
If you review Tiger Woods’ golfing career, you will find out that he suffered various injuries, including arms, leg, knee, and back injuries. In 2013, Tiger Woods complained of a stiff neck and withdrew from a tournament after playing nine holes out of eighteen. Woods dropped to the ground during the thirteenth hole due to pain.
Woods said that a soft mattress in his hotel room had caused the pain in his back. Moreover, Woods withdrew from the 2014 Honda Classic tournament due to severe back pain. Tiger Woods would find it difficult to stretch and move due to back pain, especially in the tournament’s final round.
In 2014, Woods underwent his first back pain surgery. It was a microdiscectomy procedure to overcome Tiger Woods’ back pain caused by a pinched nerve. As a result, Woods withdrew from the 2014 Masters’ tournament for the surgery. A microdiscectomy surgery requires the surgeon to remove a herniated disc to treat back pain.
Woods had a herniated disc that compressed his nerve in the spine, leading to severe discomfort and pain. The surgeon removed the disc that pressed on the nerve root in Tiger’s spine. The procedure involves using a special microscope to view the surgical area, allowing the surgeon to make a small incision while sparing muscles and other soft structures in Woods’ spine.
Although Woods’ back pain was relieved with a microdiscectomy, a year later, Woods underwent a second microdiscectomy surgery due to severe pain. A few months later, Woods underwent follow-up surgery to stabilize his spine and relieve discomfort and pain.
Tiger Woods’ Back Pain and ALIF Surgery
Although microdiscectomy surgeries and a follow-up procedure relieved his back pain, Woods suffered from lower back pain and sciatica. Because Woods had three previous surgeries performed posteriorly, it was not feasible to undergo another surgery from a posterior approach.
That’s why the surgeon advised him to undergo ALIF surgery to relieve Tiger Woods’ back pain. The purpose was to alleviate back pain and ensure it does not occur again. So, he underwent ALIF surgery, another procedure in Tiger Woods’ golfing career. The surgeon made a small, vertical incision below the belly button to reach the lumbar spine.
Woods’ back surgeon then removed the damaged disc and placed a cage with bone graft material between L5 and S1 in his lumbar spine. The surgeon used screws and rods to secure the cage. Woods underwent a rehabilitation period of 5-6 months.
ALIF Surgery at MINT
MINT’s neurosurgeons perform ALIF surgery through a minimally invasive approach. The purpose is to repair vertebral instability, structural deformities and relieve back pain due to damaged intervertebral disc in the lower back.
During the procedure, MINT’s neurosurgeon accesses the lumbar spine vertebrae by making a tiny incision in the front. Once reached the lumbar spine, our neurosurgeon removes the damaged disc and fills the empty space with a bone graft material.
Fusion occurs over time, leading to the formation of a single, solid bone. The primary benefit of performing ALIF surgery is ensuring the surrounding muscles, tissues, and nerves in the lumbar spine are not damaged.
There are numerous benefits of ALIF surgery at MINT. These include less blood loss, minimized trauma, shorter hospital stay, quick recovery during the rehabilitation period, improved cosmetic results, and less risk of infections due to a small incision.
MINT is a reputable neurosurgery clinic in Plano, TX, founded by Dr. Scott Kutz, a board-certified and experienced neurosurgeon. Under the leadership of Dr. Kutz, our neurosurgeons work as a team to perform successful surgeries through a minimally invasive approach.
Moreover, MINT, Plano, TX, has a state-of-the-art facility equipped with advanced tools and cutting-edge equipment to streamline surgical procedures. ALIF surgery relieved Tiger Woods’ back pain.
So, if you have a degenerative disc disease, scoliosis, or spondylolisthesis, you can contact our MINT’s neurosurgeon to discuss your condition. Call us today for more information on Tiger Woods’ golfing career and back pain treatment options.
