Mike Muir's Back Problems Don't Keep Him Down
Posted on Feb 1st 2010 8:00AM by Amy Sciarretto
Comments
It's a miracle that Suicidal Tendencies vocalist Mike Muir can walk, much less perform. The singer has been battling back issues since 2003 yet he still gets up there and does his thing! "I had a ruptured, herniated disc," he told Noisecreep. "When I had an MRI, they told me I had to have surgery or I won't be able to walk. The nerve was getting smashed, and these nerves die and don't regenerate!"
Muir even admits to not taking painkillers, because he believes that pain tells you that you're doing something wrong, an axiom handed down from his father. He said, "I don't take anything. I want to know when it's hurting. A lot of people with back surgery are bad off, taking painkillers, and they ask me, 'How do you do it?' I just think you have to be able to listen to your body and your mind."
For one of his two surgeries, Muir checked himself into the hospital two days before Christmas. "It was easy to get [into the] hospital, because people do not have elective surgeries at Christmas," he recalled. "So it was abandoned. Anyone who was there had to be there ... I couldn't walk, so they had to wheel me in to have an MRI and I couldn't move my leg. It was raining, and they had to wheel me outside on a gurney outside, and the doors locked. So they were looking for keys and apologizing. It was something I had to laugh at. It will make a great chapter in a book someday. It's how you look at things."
Muir had back surgery in 2003 and 2005. He traces his problems back to a European tour where he went to a trigger point masseuse and had even gone to the French rugby team's doctor for some assistance -- and the doctor even knew who he was, despite Muir telling the doctor he was a jazz singer to conceal his identity, so to speak. "The doctor said, 'You are not jazz singer! You are Mike Muir from Suicidal! I know who you are, and I know you need surgery and you need it right away."
Muir even admits to not taking painkillers, because he believes that pain tells you that you're doing something wrong, an axiom handed down from his father. He said, "I don't take anything. I want to know when it's hurting. A lot of people with back surgery are bad off, taking painkillers, and they ask me, 'How do you do it?' I just think you have to be able to listen to your body and your mind."
For one of his two surgeries, Muir checked himself into the hospital two days before Christmas. "It was easy to get [into the] hospital, because people do not have elective surgeries at Christmas," he recalled. "So it was abandoned. Anyone who was there had to be there ... I couldn't walk, so they had to wheel me in to have an MRI and I couldn't move my leg. It was raining, and they had to wheel me outside on a gurney outside, and the doors locked. So they were looking for keys and apologizing. It was something I had to laugh at. It will make a great chapter in a book someday. It's how you look at things."
Muir had back surgery in 2003 and 2005. He traces his problems back to a European tour where he went to a trigger point masseuse and had even gone to the French rugby team's doctor for some assistance -- and the doctor even knew who he was, despite Muir telling the doctor he was a jazz singer to conceal his identity, so to speak. "The doctor said, 'You are not jazz singer! You are Mike Muir from Suicidal! I know who you are, and I know you need surgery and you need it right away."
Filed under: Interview, Metal Minutia
All the AOL Music info you want to know
Jewel Stars as June Carter Cash in…
The BootAnnette Brown, Lifetime The story of June Carter Cash comes to life in the…
Janet Jackson Earns Billionaire Title
The BoomboxAndreas Rentz, Getty Images Janet Jackson can make a remix to Lil Wayne's "A…
Rick Ross and Birdman Debut Joint…
The BoomboxTheo Wargo | Bryan Bedder, Getty Images Hip-hop powerhouses Rick Ross and Birdman…
Kellie Pickler Named 'Dancing With the Stars' Champion
Beyonce Releases New Anthem, 'Grown Woman'
J. Cole Performs 'Born Sinner' on 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon,' Reveals Competitive Spirit Against Kanye West
Blake Shelton Joins NBC in Organizing Oklahoma Tornado Benefit Concert
Blake Shelton Will Return for Season 5 of 'The Voice'
Killed Soldier In London Attack Identified
Taylor Swift Dominates at 2013 Billboard Music Awards
Brave Woman Stood Down Armed London Attackers
Toby Keith Says His Hometown of Moore, Oklahoma 'Will Perservere' After Deadly Tornado
Surgeons Remove Giant Hairball From Tiger
Toby Keith Returns to Help Family, Friends in Moore, Oklahoma
Helen Flanagan Launches PETA Campaign As Only She Knows How
Carrie Underwood 'Goats' Hunter Hayes With Blown Away Tour Prank
Jodi Arias Jury DEADLOCKED
Carrie Underwood Says She's 'Queen of Awkward' in Marie Claire Interview
New Trayvon Martin Evidence Features Incriminating Photos, Texts From Teen
Demi Looks FANTASTIC In A Bikini
LOOK: Bank Vault Saves 22 Lives During Tornado
LOOK: Photoshop Mistake Is Seriously Cringeworthy
PHOTO: Dog Guards Dead Victim's Body After Oklahoma Tornado Disaster
What It's Like To Talk To A 2-Year-Old
Teenager's 'Awww'-Inspiring Drawing Wins Big At Google
Singer Sues McDonald's, Claims Chicken Sandwich Incident Ruined Her Voice
'DWTS' Shakeup Ahead?
Pope Francis Says All Who Do Good Are Redeemed - Atheists Included
REVEALED: Disturbing Trend In Human Intelligence
Has Katie Holmes Moved On?
Wolf Blitzer's Embarrassing Moment With Tornado Survivor
Man Reportedly Beheaded In Brutal Assault In London Neighborhood
White Father Allegedly Suspected Of Kidnapping Biracial Daughters
PHOTOS: Christie Brinkley Gets Back Into A Swimsuit At 59 Years Old
The World's Most Powerful Women
WATCH: The World's First Digital Photo
