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Back pain: The Overtones' singer Mike Crawshaw, 34, was diagnosed with a degenerate disc in his spine in 2008
But he is more likely to be found hitting the gym. For Mike, though, the reason for his devotion to fitness is more than vanity.
Exercise is his way of coping with degenerative disc disease in his lower back, and the almost constant pain that has blighted his life for six years.
Despite his doctors recommending surgery, Mike – one fifth of vocal harmony group The Overtones – has decided against having the operation because he’s terrified it might leave him worse off.
Instead, to keep himself motivated, he is writing a fitness blog and hopes to inspire others in the same situation to get in shape.
Mike, 34, noticed a problem in 2008, ironically while exercising. ‘I felt a pop in the small of my back, then a grinding ache. I thought, “I’ve done something,” ’ he says.
‘Over the next few days I was getting shooting pains down the backs of my legs.’
He went to his GP, who sent him to a physiotherapist.
‘The stretching exercises helped but they didn’t fix the problem,’ he recalls.
He was then sent for an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, where it was discovered he was suffering from a degenerate disc in his spine.
Orthopaedic expert Dr John Outhwaite says most people over the age of 30 will have this kind of problem with their discs – the tough, fluid-filled sacs that act as cushions, allowing the vertebral bones in the spine to move smoothly.
Disc degeneration follows a pattern. First, the gel centre loses water, becoming thick and fibrous. As a result, it loses its shock-absorbing properties. Routine stress and strain begin to take a toll on the structures of the spine, and tears form in the outer membrane. As the disc weakens, it starts to collapse, and the bones of the spine compress.
Dr Outhwaite, of the London Orthopaedic Clinic, says: ‘If the disc ruptures, the fluid can escape and press on to surrounding nerves, causing weakness in the muscles which the nerve runs to. Pain typically radiates from the deep muscles in the back and down the legs, where the nerves run.’
Why some people develop degenerate discs is not known but genetics are thought to play a key role.
Boyband: Mike, pictured centre with fellow Overtones bandmembers Lachie Chapman Darren Everest, Mark Franks and Timmy Matley, now blogs about his fitness regime to help with the disc problem
‘If the fibrous part of the joint is being worked and twisted all the time, it can’t repair itself fast enough and will burst,’ says Dr Outhwaite. ‘It can come on suddenly when exercising, but I’ve also met people it happened to who just rolled over in bed.’
In 2010, Mike was offered a discectomy to trim the disc, which would ease the pressure on his nerve. However, The Overtones had just signed their record deal. ‘I was told there was a one per cent risk of being left unable to walk properly,’ he says. ‘I don’t know if this was a sign but the day after I saw the doctor, I saw a man limping. A few weeks later I met a DJ while doing a radio interview who had the operation and who had been left with a problem with his feet. I decided against it.’
Instead, Mike has turned to exercise to strengthen the muscles around the affected area, writing a blog about his experiences called My Reluctant Fitness. ‘I focus on exercises to strengthen my core,’ he says. ‘I’ve had great feedback and it’s good to know I’m not the only one with back problems.’
But the pain can get him down. ‘It’s a constant thing and it can affect my mood,’ Mike admits.
Sitting in one position isn’t helpful but the hours of rehearsal needed to prepare for a show also take their toll. ‘We’ll rehearse for eight hours a day and I need regular breaks.’
Dr Outhwaite says that even if Mike chooses to have the surgery, it might not be the solution as up to one in eight patients will experience a recurrence of pain after the operation. ‘Drop foot’ – the complication Mike fears that leaves patients limping – occurs in one per cent of cases.
‘Every time a surgeon operates on your spine, there’s a chance something can go wrong,’ says Dr Outhwaite. He advises patients to first pursue other options such as physiotherapy, exercise and medication for pain control – and even epidural injections that can decrease the inflammation around the disc.
‘The right kind of exercise can be helpful,’ he says. ‘You can strengthen the back muscles that support everything. This helps deal with the spasms in the affected muscles that cause pain. It’s possible to help with these problems without surgery.’
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