Several movie stunts left Jackie Chan suffering with neck pain
A legendary stuntman, martial artist and actor, Jackie Chan has had more than his fair share of close calls while performing stunts on movie sets including injuries to his shoulder, knee, cervical spine and brain.
Chan’s struggle with chronic neck pain started while filming the 1983 film “Project A.” He fell from a clock tower and landed on his head. The injury damaged his cervical spine. The cervical spine protects the spinal cord. Then in 1985 – while filming “Police Story” in Hong Kong – Chan jumped from a railing on an electric light strand and fell on a glass roof. When he fell, he damaged his spinal cord and his 7th and 8th vertebrae. His injuries almost paralyzed him. He went through a surgery and recovered quickly. That injury didn’t slow him down.
Surprisingly, neither injury is the worst Chan has been through. Chan told reporters in 2015 the worst injury he suffered was during Armour of God II in 1991. A simple stunt landed him in the hospital needing brain surgery. He still has a metal plate in his head.
Experts have warned Chan to take it easy to avoid anymore injuries.
Trauma and Pain
The kind of trauma Jackie Chan has regularly put on his body is enough to give him lasting pain. We have talked about the affects a sport like Football or even Golf have had on many professional athletes. The trauma of falling six stories from a clock tower can very easily cause a compression fracture or herniate a disc. If a person was to avoid the immediate injury, the amount of wear and tear on a person’s spine from that kind of activity could lead to Degenerative Disc Disease in the future.
What we can say is that whatever surgeries Jackie Chan has been through appear to be working for him. We haven’t treated him, so we cannot say for certain – but it doesn’t look like he is slowing down. Chan has 5 movies set to be released in 2019 and another 6 films currently filming or in pre-production. That includes the 4th installment in the “Rush Hour” saga where Chan is rumored to reprise his role as Inspector Lee.
Treating Neck and Back Pain
If you are struggling with Neck or Back pain and you would like a surgeon’s opinion on how to treat it – we want you to make an appointment! Our surgeons are never going to recommend a surgery if you do not need one – but will be able to direct your care and oversee your treatments until you are 100%. Give us a call at 985-400-5778 or use the “Request an Appointment” form below.
