In My Body Odyssey’s (MBO) first episode, we meet Ultimate Mark – uber-competitive weekend warrior in Ultimate Disc: “If it hurts me but helps the team, it's worth it in my mind.”

Problem is Ultimate Mark has a fully-fused spine dating back to scoliosis in high school. And that lack of flexibility, along with his competitive spirit, puts him at risk for frequent injuries and another surgery. 

“There’s something called adjacent segment disease,” explains Mayo Clinic Neurosurgeon Mohamad Bydon. “It's not inforeseeable…a decision will have to be made on extending that fusion.”

Dr. Mark Stoutenberg of Temple University also sounds a cautionary note on competing with a fused spine: “I don't think our younger selves really understand what being fifty and having chronic back pain is like.” 

Does Ultimate Mark love competition too much? Listen in to learn about Mark’s tradeoff of physical pain for behavioral benefit on this first episode of My Body Odyssey. 

SHOW NOTES

Our Experts:

Dr. Mohamad Bydon, M.D: Faculty Page, Linkedin, Google Scholar

Dr. Mark Stoutenberg PhD: Faculty Page, Linkedin, Google Scholar

• Relevant Publication: Physical activity assessment, prescription and referral in US healthcare: How do we make this a standard of clinical practice?

Additional Resources

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