I have heard he has a compressed disc. I never see anything in the media that says what exactly the problem is besides "back spasms". What it causing the spasms? Do they know? Or are they not saying / hiding something?
Great question. My wife and I have been wondering the same thing. There must be some unique specifics about his back. I would like to know. Also, if he nbeeds the rest of the year off, give it to him.
I believe it's just bad spasms, as he has said in interviews there is nothing else wrong, herniation, or spine damage. I can tell you from experience the spasms are pretty bad, but then I also have a herniated disc, which is awful, and quite large. I wouldnt think the spasms would be so bad that he could not play, there is some stabbing pain, but maybe theres something more to it.
im looking for this answer also. the media usually report "spasms" which there is nothing you can do about, and then I hear the Morning Crew on 610 babble about how it could be a disc, and could require surgery, or even worse shorten his career. *gulp* Which is it???
I don't think anyone really knows, TMac included. That's why it scares the #$%* out of me. Can you imagine us making it to the Western Conference Finals next year and suddenly his back acts up? I think if there was a way to permanently fix it, the media would've picked up on it by now.
The origins of back spasms are diverse, but it is clear that they are often a response to an injury or inflammation of the spinal region. In many cases, the muscles of the back themselves are injured or inflamed, but the spine itself, including the thin cartilaginous discs between the spinal vertebrae and the ligaments which connect the vertebrae, may also be the source of the difficulty. Some back-spasm experts believe that spasms are a reaction by which the body attempts to immobilise the spine and thus prevent further injury. Naturally, the injuries that produce back spasms might be caused by 'overuse' (chronic muscular exertion without adequate recovery) or by a single, traumatic incident. In the case of overuse, repeated rotational movements of the spine, such as the swinging motions required for baseball, cricket, tennis, squash, handball, racquetball, or golf, may eventually lead to an injury or inflammation of the vertebrae, spinal discs, ligaments of the spine, or spinal muscles themselves, particularly in individuals whose lower back muscles are functionally weak. link
He is hurting because of all the low-end mediocre talent that has been riding in a sadle up on his back for the last few years. He needs a break for crying out loud. DD
I think this might help. I've heard they said Tmacs problems stem from a narrowing of the spine. Its something he was born with. narrowing of the lumen (which is another fancy word for hole) The path which the spinal cord travels through. Spinal Stenosis What they mean by narrowing of the spine is where the hole where the nerve resides is not as large as normal. It is actually a fairly significant risk of a serious injury, more so to contact sports however. In football it is considered a very high risk because if they get hit just right, it could possibly cause paralysis. What happens is that when he stretches the spine, like he usually does during one of many of his very acrobatic maneuvers, it causes pressure on the nerve. The nerve is what tells the muscle to contract, so it goes into a very violent spasm. I'm glad that this is all that it was though. He will be back this year with rest and therapy, but he will always have this considering this is something your born with. The only real risk to him is, if he came down on the floor and hit the narrowed portion of his spine just right. It would have to be a freak thing for him to have a very serious injury. Hope this clears things up for you guys. He should be fine though
I'm not sure about the source of the info, but here are some replies to a thread I started, which is essentially the same.
