Comments on: Tiger Woods and back surgery

By: Mike K

Mike K — Wed, 31 May 2017 15:40:47 +0000

Also, Tiger’s father died about the time his decline began. That may be a factor.

By: Mike K

Mike K — Wed, 31 May 2017 15:39:53 +0000

I remember when Tiger was just starting out, a golf commentator predicted he would have back trouble because his swing involved a very tight winding of his back on his backswing. David Duval went on a physical fitness thing when Tiger was riding high and it wrecked his career as his back gave out just with the exercising. He finally was able to come back but never did as well again.

“follow-up news stories reported that neither breath nor urine tests measured any alcohol in Tiger Woods’s system.”

DUI includes drugs but that is a good point.

By: Cornflour

Cornflour — Wed, 31 May 2017 14:46:48 +0000

It’s probably not needed here, but I’ll go ahead and note that follow-up news stories reported that neither breath nor urine tests measured any alcohol in Tiger Woods’s system.

As it happens, I like most dogs but don’t like Tiger Woods, so I’ll modify Neo’s sentiment a bit: I wouldn’t wish nerve pain on a rat, and I really hate rats.

By: Tuvea

Tuvea — Wed, 31 May 2017 11:59:36 +0000

I have had three major back surgeries over the years. The last was a spinal fusion after rods had been implanted to support my spine.

Once I was able to tolerate sitting up the Doctor started weaning me off of pain meds. I swear I’m getting a twinge just thinking about it. VBG

While the pain has gone away so has my ability to twist my shoulders more than a limited amount. Trying to swing a golf club just isn’t possible.

I can’t imagine how a world class athlete – or anyone for that matter – could even attempt to play golf with back pain.

By: Gringo

Gringo — Wed, 31 May 2017 04:20:10 +0000

Michael Adams
Elavil got a pretty bad rap as an antidepressant, but found new life with intractable nerve pain.

Some years ago I got a case of shingles on my face. I don’t recall precisely what medication was used, but from having worked as an aide in a psych hospital, I recognized that I was being given some sort of psychiatric med for shingles. May have been Elavil. Mellaril?

The dosages were much smaller than what I recall the psych patients got- 5 to 10 % of a psych patient dose, perhaps. The med worked very well in suppressing the nerve pain of shingles, without any negative side effects.

I went out of town for a conference and missed a day of meds. I thought that I should double up to catch up. Bad mistake. I was drowsy the next day. That gave me an inkling of what psych patients got.

By: neo-neocon

neo-neocon — Wed, 31 May 2017 04:05:36 +0000

Michael F Adams:

Amitriptyline has been used for nerve pain for many many decades. I was injured in 1990 and already it was in use. Problem is, like most medications, it’s not all that effective for much neuropathic (nerve injury) type pain, although patients differ in their responses.

Later on, various anti-seizure meds were found to be a bit more effective for neuropathic pain: neurontin was the first, and lyrica is now pretty popular. I took neurontin for quite some time, and it had a small positive effect but really quite small. Another drug that is sometimes used is methadone, one of the few opioids that can touch nerve pain.

Unfortunately, neuropathic pain just doesn’t respond all that well to drugs.

By: Tesh

Tesh — Wed, 31 May 2017 03:59:02 +0000

I don’t much like Woods as a person, but I feel bad for him on this. It’s a good reminder of how even well-meaning and adequately performing drugs can cause problems that might be best avoided with things like a friend to drive or some time off.

By: charles

charles — Wed, 31 May 2017 00:04:41 +0000

Agreeing with others here – one look at that photo of Tiger and I, too, felt kinda sorry for him.

He just looked, so, “out of it”! poor guy.

By: Lee

Lee — Tue, 30 May 2017 23:32:12 +0000

When I heard the news, my thought was, “So what?” I really didn’t care. Not like I am slamming on Tiger Woods. I guess because people do occasionally get pulled over for suspicion of DUI. I KNOW a few people who have. Sure, he’s got the money that he could have a limousine drive him from Florida to Seattle. But some things just happen and you are a little stupider than you normally are.

I saw the headlines, “Is this the final nail in Tiger’s professional coffin?” REALLY? REALLY?! That was a little over the top, I think.

I do believe the medications story. It makes sense to me.

I drove home from the dentist while I was waiting for the vicodin to kick in. Me, I didn’t have anyone to drive me, I didn’t have the money to get a cab, public transportation would have taken, and I kid you not, six hours. And it wasn’t three am.

The puffy features makes me think Old Texan has a point. Steroids made me VERY puffy.

By: Griffin

Griffin — Tue, 30 May 2017 22:52:15 +0000

The first three surgeries were microdiscectomy procedures with the second and third supposedly being smaller procedures and then he had the fusion. After the first three he came back and played at the end of last year and looked very uncomfortable and then came the latest surgery. Golf is very hard on the back and almost every great golfer has had some level of back issues but it seems as like this has led to many other problems including perhaps dependence on pain killers.

As someone who has been involved in golf at some level my entire life it’s really sad to see this. Many people have contempt for him after some of his problems but I have a hard time judging someone when I don’t know the whole story. All I know is that at his best he was better at his craft than any other person in any other activity I have ever seen.