Neymar’s Journey

Neymar da Silva Santos Junior, also known as just Neymar, is one of the all-time greatest soccer players in history. He is one of the few players who have scored over 100 goals for 3 different clubs. In 2013, Neymar, alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, lead Fútbol Club Barcelona to win the continental treble of the La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Champions League tournaments. His future was bright.

Any professional soccer player is no stranger to being hit on the field. Soccer is a brutal sport, and accidents are bound to happen. However, during the 2014 world cup, he was given a rude awakening in the form of a flying knee directly toward his spine.

Brazilian Pride

The Brazilian National Soccer team has won the world cup 5 times. This is more than any other country in the world! They are the birthplace of the most famous soccer player ever, Pelé. Combined with the fact that the 2014 World Cup was taking place in Brazil, there was intense  pressure for the national team to win it all.

Neymar’s Injury

With two minutes left in a quarterfinal game against Colombia, Colombian soccer player Juan Zuniga hit Neymar with a running knee to the back. Neymar was removed from the field via stretcher. He was then rushed to a hospital.

Before his injury status was confirmed,  Brazilian fans were caught in a frenzy of fear and anticipation. People were freaking out, hoping and praying for Neymar to recover on time for the semifinal match against Germany.

After Brazil defeated Colombia, Coach Scolari of Brazil’s national team announced that Neymar would not be cleared to play against Germany. The rest of the team would have to face the Germans in the semifinals without Neymar. The injury resulted in Neymar fracturing his L3 vertebrae.

Vertebrae

The human spine is made of individual bones called vertebrae. They are separated by pads of cartilage known as intervertebral discs. There are 29 vertebrae in the human spine, and they are separated into 4 sections:

• Cervical spine: Uppermost point of the spine. It’s comprised of the first 7 vertebrae. It extends from the base of the skull to the bottom of the neck.
• Thoracic spine: Largest part of the spine. Contains 12 vertebrae. Stretches from the base of the neck to the middle of the spine.
• Lumbar spine: Lowest end of the spine. It contains 5 vertebrae. It is located between the end of the rib cage and the beginning of the pelvis.
• Sacrum: A triangle shaped bone that connects the spine to the hips. It is made up of 5 vertebrae that are fused together during fetal development.

Fractured Vertebrae

A vertebrae can be fractured at any point in the spine. Fractures usually occur due to intense trauma, often from high velocity impacts. This can include falling, motor vehicle collisions, or in this case, sports injuries.

The symptoms and side effects of a vertebral fracture can include:

• Neck and back pain
• Limb paralysis and weakness.
• Loss of urinary or bowel control.
• Spine numbness and tingling.
• Uncontrollable muscle spasms
• Loss of consciousness upon impact – This requires immediate emergency treatment.

Popular methods of diagnosis include:

• MRIs
• CT scans
• X-rays

Common treatment for a vertebral fracture usually consists of:

• • • Neck and back braces to hold the spine in place as it heals.
    • Spinal injections. This may include discographic injections, nerve block injections, pain-killer injections, and epidural steroid injections.
    • Physical rehabilitation and therapy.
    • Medications to help mitigate additional symptoms. Additional symptoms may include bowel and bladder problems, elevated blood pressure, muscle spasms, and pain.
    • Follow-up care with PM&R (physical medicine and rehabilitation) specialists to schedule and implement a long-term rehab therapy plan.

The Doctor

On July 4^th, 2014, Doctor Jose Luiz Runco was part of a press conference regarding Neymar’s injury. He couldn’t help but get emotional as he remembered breaking the news to Neymar.

“I didn’t even give the kid the chance to ask me. I broke the news, and it was hard to see him crying profusely when told he was out of the competition. He only calmed down when I reasoned with him that, as a 22-year-old footballer, his professional life still has a lot to offer.”

“He should be in action in 40 to 45 days. Nothing prevents him from watching the games if he feels comfortable. In the absence of a better word, this has been a good injury because it won’t leave any further problems for him despite the violence with which he was hit on the back by the opposition.”

Agony

Germany desimated Brazil in the semifinals. By the time it was 4-0, Brazilian fans were weeping in the stands. Brazil’s loss to Germany is one of the most iconic defeats in modern soccer. They lost 7 to 1. To this day, 7-1 is a symbol of tragedy in Brazil. “Cada dia um 7-1 diferente,” every day a different 7-1, is now a common saying when tragedy strikes in Brazil.

The Miracle

While many fans were heartbroken, Neymar was counting his lucky stars. “If it was 2 inches to the left I would never be able to walk again.” While his countrymen wept for their pride, Neymar took time to appreciate his health. He cried as he recounted his injury, and what could have been if things were just a little different. “I could be in a wheelchair.”

In a post-recovery interview, Neymar said; “The doctors said: ‘There’s good and bad news. The bad news, your World Cup is over. The good news is you’ll be able to walk again.’ I was in incredible pain. I watched the semi-final at home as I was in a wheelchair. It was a bad week.”

10 years later, Neymar is still playing professional soccer for The Al Hilal soccer club in Saudi Arabia. Even when someone is stuck in a nightmare, dreams can still persevere.

If you or a loved one are seriously injured while playing a contact sport, seek treatment immediately. To avoid serious injury and prolong your sports career, visit Healthpointe today.

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