Christopher Dean health: Star left ‘battered and bruised’ due to ‘almighty’ spine injury
Dancing On Ice: Christopher Dean is impressed with Brendan
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Speaking to The Mirror back in 2019 ahead of a new series of Dancing On Ice, the pair admitted that years of ice skating have taken their toll on their health and physical ability. While comparing himself to a racehorse, Dean admitted that he would be “mince meat by now”. Although saying in the past that he has a “high tolerance” to pain, the star said that his injuries do not go away, forcing him to live with his pain. Amongst his many injuries, perhaps the most serious is Dean’s spinal problems, which have included a herniated spinal disc.
“I’ve still got loads of injuries,” Dean admitted back in 2019.
“They don’t go away, you just live with them. If I was a racehorse I’d be mince meat by now!
“I’ve had several surgeries. I had one four months ago.
“I think as athletes we’re used to pain so our pain threshold is something we can live with and for the last 25 years I’ve had something every day.”
Speaking about his spine injuries in particular, Dean revealed that he has to be “careful” not to make the condition worse, as this could put an end to his skating career.
“Once, I herniated a disc in my back and was in danger of being unable to perform a show in Australia,” he continued to add.
The star has also had trouble with a bulging disc, a condition similar to a herniated disc and both causing severe pain.
Despite his caution, last year Dean spoke about an “almighty fall” he and Torvill suffered during rehearsals for the Dancing On Ice final.
Featuring on an episode of Good Morning Britain, Dean said that he was feeling “battered and bruised” following the accident.
Talking to presenter Kate Garraway he said: “Jayne and I, we haven’t skated for the last eight weeks because we’ve been in our [COVID-19] bubble and everything that we’ve done we recorded before, but we are skating this last week.
“And we were just on the ice on Monday and we took an almighty fall, which I’m still paying for, I feel a bit battered and bruised.
“I caught an edge, I went down but I placed myself under Jayne and she landed on top of me, so she had a nice cushion and it was just my back that took the pressure.”
OrthoInfo, a site run by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons explains that A herniated disk is a condition that can occur anywhere along the spine, but most often occurs in the lower back.
It is sometimes called a bulging, protruding, or ruptured disk, and is one of the most common causes of lower back pain, as well as leg pain, or sciatica.
The spine is made up of bones and rubbery discs that are stacked on top of one another, forming the spinal canal. These discs act like “shock absorbers” between the bones and are made of two components: a softer centre and a tough elastic-like band.
Dr. Harvey E. Smith, MD explains the key difference between a herniated and bulging disc in the spine. He states: “A bulging disc is like letting air out of a car tire. The disc sags and looks like it is bulging outward.
“With a herniated disc, the outer covering of the disc has a hole or tear. This causes the nucleus pulposus (jelly-like centre of the disc) to leak into the spinal canal.”
Bulging discs frequently occur as individuals age. Due to the progressive nature of the condition there is also a gradual onset of symptoms. But over time a bulging disc can affect an individual’s ability to walk. In comparison pain from a herniated disc comes on abruptly and usually affects one individual nerve root. Sometimes caused by an acute injury, treatment for a herniated disc will differ according to the individual’s case.
The NHS explains that if you or someone you know has been experiencing the following symptoms, you could be suffering from a herniated disc:
- Lower back pain
- Numbness or tingling in your shoulders, back, arms, hands, legs or feet
- Neck pain
- Problems bending or straightening your back
- Muscle weakness
- Pain in the buttocks, hips or legs if the disc is pressing on the sciatic nerve (sciatica).
In the longer-term, treatment from a physiotherapist may be needed to help treat a herniated or bulging disc. But in the short-term, taking painkillers, keeping active, and using muscle relaxants will help to ease any pain.
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