8 Famous People With Chronic Back Pain

Celebrities may be exempt of many things, but back pain is not one of them. Stunts, injuries on set, and even stress can cause this very common discomfort—and they too have to decide how to deal with it in the best possible way. Which is why today we’re going to learn a little bit about what these 8 famous people do to keep the pain away.

George Clooney

George Clooney is one of the most famous men in Hollywood. He’s not just an actor, he’s also a director, producer, screenwriter, businessman, activist, and not to mention People magazine’s sexiest man alive … Twice.

In 2005, George Clooney suffered a severe spine injury on the set of Syriana, the film that won him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. His dura mater tore during a stunt sequence and this caused his cerebral spinal fluid to leak. Consequently, he experienced profound and unrelenting pain and headaches, to such a degree that the actor said he even thought about suicide.

That is until he underwent various spinal surgeries to treat the pain that was disrupting his life. However, things aren’t always as simple as we want them to be and he still suffered from severe pain after surgery.

He turned to painkillers and alcohol to cope with the pain until he eventually got in touch with a pain management expert and he underwent yet another surgery. This time it was successful and even though he still experiences headaches, they’re not as intense as they used to be. Managing pain in a healthy way is very important because it can easily lead to depression and addiction. There’s always a solution!

George W. Bush

Let’s continue with another famous George. George Walker Bush served as the 43rd President of the United States of America, and very few people know that he suffered from severe back pain caused by a persistent disc problem.

As you know, Presidents tend to keep their private life very private. Most of them don’t want the people to know if they suffer from any kind of physical debilitation, and some of them even go to great lengths to keep it secret—whatever it takes to maintain the illusion that everything’s just fine.

In this case, the former president of the United States of America kept it very hidden and he underwent surgery in 2013 to treat the pain. This, of course, was kept low profile and he was back on his feet in no time.

So far, surgery has been the ideal fix. The method will always depend on the severity and complexity of the back issues that are causing your back pain. For most people is enough to get a massage or take over-the-counter painkillers to temporarily cope with the pain, but others may be trying to handle a more complex situation—one that requires seeking the advice of a medical professional to consider the options for a more invasive procedure.

John F. Kennedy

Here we have another President—the 35th President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. We all know the story of who JFK was and about his tragic death. His assassination left a mark in the history of the country and its footage is forever imprinted in our memories.

What most of us didn’t know is that he experienced severe back pain most of his life. A team of neurosurgeons have actually studied his back issues, which started while he was at Harvard. It isn’t known what kind of injury caused it, but it’s believed to have been football-related.

He tried to get into the Navy and the Army, but his back issues caused him to fail both physical exams. Exercise and his father’s political influence eventually got him into the Navy, but his time in the service further injured his back.

He underwent several surgeries starting in 1944 but they did very little to help ease his pain; in fact, they made it worse and he even suffered from infection. During that time, Kennedy tried all sorts of drug treatments and pain medication, but it wasn’t until 1961 that he found relief. He started working with an orthopedist and physiatrist and he began to lift weights, swim, and receive massage and heat therapy. This caused a dramatic improvement to his condition.

Dolly Parton

Moving on to the world of entertainment, the 72-year-old country legend known as Dolly Parton is one of those famous people who have had to deal with severe back pain. Dolly Parton is iconic; her beautiful voice and her bubbly persona are only a couple of the things that make her so likable.

It doesn’t go unnoticed that this petite superstar has what one would call very generous breasts. In fact, they are so large that they have fame of their own. Her 40DD breasts are precisely the cause of her back issues.

Large breasts, as you may know, can cause quite a few inconveniences such as back pain, neck pain, and they also make aerobic exercise very uncomfortable, which is why performing has become an issue for her.

For many women, when dealing with back pain caused by extremely large breasts, the answer seems to be breast reduction surgery. However, Dolly Parton hasn’t chosen this method, and we don’t think she will!

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford, famously known for his character roles as Han Solo and Indiana Jones, is an American actor and film producer. As you know, Harrison Ford has played very active, adventurous, and bold characters in his movies. So it comes as no surprise that injuries are bound to happen, such was the case for Ford on the set of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

During a stunt sequence on set, the actor herniated his disc. At the time, he had to be flown to Los Angeles to receive proper treatment. A herniated disc is when one of the disks between the vertebrae is ruptured. The disc is like a jelly donut, so when it’s herniated, the soft insides are pushed outwards.

This is corrected with surgery, which is what cured Harrison Ford of his herniated disc. This injury can occur in relation to aging as well, so exercising, maintaining a good posture, and a healthy weight can help prevent this from happening.

Elizabeth Taylor

This amazing woman, arguably one of the most beautiful women to have ever graced the earth, was also famous for having serious health issues throughout her life. Among these issues you can count brain tumor, skin cancer, pneumonia, and congestive heart failure, along with three hip replacements, and scoliosis.

On top of her scoliosis, she was thrown from a horse on the set of National Velvet and she broke her back. Elizabeth Taylor spend her entire life in and out of hospitals, and one of the most persistent reasons was due to chronic back pain and injuries. She underwent many surgeries, and towards the end of her life she was confined to a wheelchair. She complained that she had become a “bent over old lady”.

Her back problems never really went away. She also sustained various other injuries that would make her back issues flare up. This is one of the reasons she is reported to have developed a problem with alcohol and prescription medication.

Usain Bolt

Yes, Usain Bolt, as in “The Fastest Man Alive” also has back issues. You might think it’s related to physical strain, but he was actually born with scoliosis. Scoliosis is a medical condition in which the spine has a curvature. This causes pain in the back, neck, and shoulders, respiratory and/or cardiac problems, limited mobility, and sometimes even functional limitation, among other things.

As a result, Usain Bolt has experienced symptoms including tightness in his lower back and limited mobility in both hamstrings and calves. He has stated that when he was younger it didn’t bother him much, but it gets worse with age. He also claims that if he keeps his core and back strong, the scoliosis doesn’t get in the way.

On top of working hard to keep his body and his spine strong, he also has regular physiotherapy sessions to maintain flexibility and to correct imbalance in the spine which is caused by the same condition.

Bono

Paul David Hewson, better known as Bono, the lead singer of U2—songwriter, musician, venture capitalist, businessman, and philanthropist—has also had a dance with chronic pain. Throughout his career as a performer he has sustained a lot of injuries, many due to accidents while on stage which led to his struggle with chronic pain.

In 2010 Bono suffered a spinal injury during his preparation for the U2 360 Degrees Tour and he underwent an emergency neurosurgery in Munich, Germany.

He suffered a herniated disc along with severe compression of the sciatic nerve. During rehearsals, he experienced severe pain and partial paralysis of the lower leg which is why he was rushed to the hospital. Surgery was required to prevent the singer from suffering full paralysis.

Back pain, back injuries, and back issues in general are very common and can happen to anyone. They can be caused by falls, work, strain, bad posture, genetic conditions, being overweight, etc. There are many options for treating back pain, but the important thing is to take care of yourself and get help as soon as something happens.

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