EJ Obiena reveals undergoing medical procedure for spine injury days prior to Olympic event

E. Kristhoff Cagape

<p>Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena underwent a medical procedure for a spine injury days before the Olympics.</p><p>&quot;What EJ went through 10 days into the games was quite a shock. He has had a recurring issue in the lumbar part of his spine,&quot; Olympic coach Jim Lafferty revealed as reported by One Sports.</p><p>&quot;He&#x27;s had some issues in the connective tissues, which led to muscle spasming, pain, and the inability to vault,&quot; he added.</p><p>The spine condition started two years ago, and EJ underwent a procedure before to eradicate the pain.</p><p>&quot;He&#x27;s had a denervation to the nerve that was causing all the issues. It allows him to compete and go on without any risk to his long-term health.&quot;</p><p>According to www.wsh.nhs.uk, denervation is &quot;a procedure that aims to permanently stop a nerve transmitting pain.&quot;</p><iframe class="instagram-media" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/C-NrU2rI1MK/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=450&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fent-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A1949408%2C%22ls%22%3A17262%2C%22le%22%3A17511%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="0" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px;min-width:326px;padding:0px;position:absolute"></iframe><blockquote class=" instagram-media-registered" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C-NrU2rI1MK/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" id="instagram-media-payload-2" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C-NrU2rI1MK/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"><br/></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:100px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:60px"><br/></div></div></div><div style="padding:19% 0"><br/></div><div style="display:block;height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px"><br/></div><div style="padding-top:8px"><div style="color:#3897f0;line-height:18px">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding:12.5% 0"><br/></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;margin-bottom:14px;align-items:center"><div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"><br/></div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"><br/></div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"><br/></div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"><br/></div></div></a><div style="color:#c9c8cd;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C-NrU2rI1MK/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by Ernest Obiena (@ernestobienapv)</a></div></div></blockquote><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>However, the nerve did grow back. &quot;Unfortunately, it grew back at a rate where [EJ&#x27;s] starting to feel everything again in 2024. This whole season has had great inconsistencies, [with EJ] having to take dates off and having to take medications,&quot; Jim explained.</p><p>EJ opened up about the physical challenges he encountered all throughout the ordeal.</p><p>&quot;They cause spasms and inflammations, and this has been recurring this season. I was in the US when it started, I couldn&#x27;t move right away after I jumped. Sometimes it relaxes, sometimes it doesn&#x27;t,&quot; he shared.</p><p>The Filipino athlete continued: &quot;We didn&#x27;t know what is exactly causing it. Probably, if it was not the Olympics, I wouldn&#x27;t do it, but it was the Olympics. You can feel it when you&#x27;re walking. I can walk, I can jog a little bit, but when it&#x27;s really bad, I can&#x27;t really run. Vaulting was out of the picture.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://push.abs-cbn.com/2024/8/7/ej-obiena-reflects-on-paris-2024-olympics-i-will-get-back-up-1039"><strong>READ: EJ Obiena reflects on Paris 2024 Olympics: ‘I will get back up’</strong></a></div><p>Jim relayed that twelve days prior to the Olympics, the spine condition worsened to the point that EJ was unable to vault, so they decided to fly him to Italy for a medical procedure.</p><p>&quot;He couldn&#x27;t even run with a pole, so what we did was we searched for a doctor in France. The only thing we could do was pull out [from the Olympics] or have an injection of some type of cortisone to take out inflammation and the pain,&quot; he stated.</p><p>The Olympic coach explained: &quot;It&#x27;s not just a simple procedure for a shot. It&#x27;s done in a very delicate area where they can&#x27;t hit a nerve, and they have to put it into the right position.&quot;</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C-USzGNIbfI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C-USzGNIbfI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"><br/></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:100px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:60px"><br/></div></div></div><div style="padding:19% 0"><br/></div><div style="display:block;height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px"><br/></div><div style="padding-top:8px"><div style="color:#3897f0;line-height:18px">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding:12.5% 0"><br/></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;margin-bottom:14px;align-items:center"><div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"><br/></div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"><br/></div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"><br/></div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"><br/></div></div></a><div style="color:#c9c8cd;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C-USzGNIbfI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by Ernest Obiena (@ernestobienapv)</a></div></div></blockquote><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Jim disclosed that the time between the procedure and EJ&#x27;s recovery period was really short.</p><p>&quot;Over a 24-hour period, he left France, flew to Rome, met with doctors, had the procedure done, and then we put him back on a plane to France, and then had to take a 48-hour recovery from the shot. Only then did he start to gradually work his way back,&quot; he said.</p><p>EJ believed that the ordeal affected his consistency leading to his Olympic event.</p><p>&quot;I don&#x27;t think it hindered me to perform on the day of the Olympics. But if I&#x27;m analyzing it, it affected my consistency and my overall program for the Olympics,&quot; the pole vaulter said. </p><p>EJ placed fourth in the men&#x27;s pole vault finals at the Olympics.</p>

<p>EJ Obiena underwent a medical procedure for a spine injury days before his Olympic event.</p>

EJ Obiena underwent a medical procedure for a spine injury days before his Olympic event.

EJ Obiena reveals undergoing medical procedure for spine injury days prior to Olympic event

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EJ Obiena reveals undergoing medical procedure for spine injury days prior to Olympic event

Toff C.

Published Aug 08, 2024 10:43 AM PHT

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