# John Browne's Injury?



## HexaneLake (Sep 25, 2020)

Hey all, I know this is private information regarding the personal life of right-hand legend John Browne, but does anyone know anything about his neck injury? Vehicle related whiplash? Or slipped disc or something from career of headbanging? 

I suffer from a similar injury, pretty severe nerve damage and I can't help but sympathize when I check up on his videos, especially as of late. I personally reflect on suicide often because of this injury, I really feel like upmost shit for a majority of the days of the week. God bless Browne for pushing through this. 

I hope he gets the relief he deserves.


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## Frostbite (Sep 25, 2020)

He has no idea. He's talked about it on riffhard stuff here and there. It just showed up 5 years ago and I think last I heard it could be caused by a form of arthritis but that's just an idea at this point. He's still doing tests and shit for it. I'd be very surprised if head banging didn't contribute to it in some way

He's been doing physio and apparently his range of motion has gotten slightly better but it's still not fantastic.


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## Kobalt (Sep 26, 2020)

Had no idea he was injured, but I was wondering why the HELL he was hunching his head forward so much.


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## Lorcan Ward (Sep 26, 2020)

Disc degeneration and other related conditions can happen at a young age. It can be just bad luck but most is because of injury and lifestyle. Bruce Dickinson talks about his cervical herniation in his book, he got it from head banging and it really messed him up.

To OP, find a really good physiotherapist. I had so much s**t wrong with me from an accident but I’m healthier than I’ve ever been now and pretty much pain free. You just need to find someone really knowledgeable and put in the hard work yourself. That’s if it can be treated through physio and doesn’t need surgery or invasive injections.


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## DrakkarTyrannis (Sep 27, 2020)

I have been wondering about this. I kept wondering why he was hunched over and didn't turn his head normally. I googled it and couldn't find anything on it. I'm glad to know someone else noticed and there are answers


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## John_Strychnine (Dec 27, 2020)

Ive been Mick Marsed, I was recently diagnosed with Ankylosing spondylitis. 

Unfortunately, an inevitability.


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## c7spheres (Dec 27, 2020)

John_Strychnine said:


> Ive been Mick Marsed, I was recently diagnosed with Ankylosing spondylitis.
> 
> Unfortunately, an inevitability.


 Sorry to hear that man. I hope you can live as pain/stress free as possible with it. Maybe Mick could give you some advise/pointers on how to deal with it while being a musician/ guitarists at the same time. Unfortunately I have no way to get in touch with him. Take care.


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## DrakkarTyrannis (Dec 27, 2020)

John_Strychnine said:


> Ive been Mick Marsed, I was recently diagnosed with Ankylosing spondylitis.
> 
> Unfortunately, an inevitability.



Damn. Sorry to hear that.


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## Albake21 (Dec 27, 2020)

John_Strychnine said:


> Ive been Mick Marsed, I was recently diagnosed with Ankylosing spondylitis.
> 
> Unfortunately, an inevitability.


Damn, I'm sorry to hear that John. If you don't mind me asking, does it affect guitar playing at all?


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## foreright (Dec 27, 2020)

John_Strychnine said:


> Ive been Mick Marsed, I was recently diagnosed with Ankylosing spondylitis.
> 
> Unfortunately, an inevitability.



I was diagnosed with AS in my early 30s (am 45 now) after years of what I thought was sciatica or trapped nerves and unbelievable pain coupled with what felt like incredibly bad RSI in my wrists and hands. Not great when you work in IT and type constantly. Not sure where you are but here in the U.K. they made me try out at least 3 drug treatments - none of which made much of a difference and two had very significant and nasty side effects - and physio before I ended up on my current treatment. I am taking a monthly injection of a biological / anti-tnf drug which was relatively “experimental” at the time but is a miracle for me. The side effect is a reduction in the immune system requiring a lot of monitoring (blood tests every few weeks) but I can put up with that for my life back. 

To put it into context, I was pretty much unable to function from the back and hip pain when I took the first injection and was absolutely fine with zero pain or restriction about 15 minutes after the injection. It’s still working like that quite some years later. I get a bit of pain towards the end of the month but the injection is still magic.

Hopefully they will sort out out a treatment plan and find something that works quickly! Good luck!


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## akinari (Dec 28, 2020)

Love and support to anyone here dealing with a condition that affects their playing. Blew my shoulder out in 2019 and it was a major bummer for a while.


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## John_Strychnine (Dec 28, 2020)

Which injection do you take?

Ive been taking systematic injection for psoriasis for the past 3-4 years but it’s not really doing anything for this so I’m in the process of switching to one that will do both. 

I’m glad your pain free! It’s more infuriating than painful for me though. Like an itch I can’t itch. 

As far as Mick Mars and what he did, probably speedballin haha 



foreright said:


> I was diagnosed with AS in my early 30s (am 45 now) after years of what I thought was sciatica or trapped nerves and unbelievable pain coupled with what felt like incredibly bad RSI in my wrists and hands. Not great when you work in IT and type constantly. Not sure where you are but here in the U.K. they made me try out at least 3 drug treatments - none of which made much of a difference and two had very significant and nasty side effects - and physio before I ended up on my current treatment. I am taking a monthly injection of a biological / anti-tnf drug which was relatively “experimental” at the time but is a miracle for me. The side effect is a reduction in the immune system requiring a lot of monitoring (blood tests every few weeks) but I can put up with that for my life back.
> 
> To put it into context, I was pretty much unable to function from the back and hip pain when I took the first injection and was absolutely fine with zero pain or restriction about 15 minutes after the injection. It’s still working like that quite some years later. I get a bit of pain towards the end of the month but the injection is still magic.
> 
> Hopefully they will sort out out a treatment plan and find something that works quickly! Good luck!


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## foreright (Dec 28, 2020)

I’m on Golimumab which is an anti-tnf drug (basically switches off / damps down part of the immune system which is overactive). 

Before that I tried Diclofenac (not much effect), Methatrexate (I was incredibly sick and had ulcers as well - had to take a second drug Omeprazole for the sickness at the same time which had other nasty side effects! Plus it had no effect on the pain) and one other tablet I can’t remember the name of that made me very sick also. The NHS put me on the anti-tnf as the others didn’t work. There’s multiple options there as well if one doesn’t work effectively.

As it stands right now I have the injection (self injected via an automated “pen”) once a month, have blood tests that are monitored by the hospital every couple of months and one physio and one consultant visit to the hospital per year. I would say it took about 5 years from having initial symptoms to being diagnosed and a further year or so to find a treatment that worked but for now it’s pretty stable. I do still get some pain and restriction in winter due to the cold but live normally and there was a long period where I thought that definitely wouldn’t be the case!


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## TheInvisibleHand (Dec 28, 2020)

John_Strychnine said:


> Ive been Mick Marsed, I was recently diagnosed with Ankylosing spondylitis.
> 
> Unfortunately, an inevitability.



A good friend of mine was diagnosed with AS recently after months of debilitating back pain. So much so that work etc. was impossible. They finally put him on Humira, which at least for him, has been life changing. From crushing pain to no symptoms whatsoever. Gave him his life back. I hope you find a treatment that gives you relief.


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## RevDrucifer (Dec 28, 2020)

John_Strychnine said:


> Which injection do you take?
> 
> Ive been taking systematic injection for psoriasis for the past 3-4 years but it’s not really doing anything for this so I’m in the process of switching to one that will do both.
> 
> ...



I’ve had a couple family members with severe psoriasis issues that they managed to get under control. My mother-in-law had it so bad on her hands she was dipping her hands in melted wax to form these gloves that she’d wear for an hour or so, several times a day. 

The other one had it under her arms, spreading to her back. Both of them switched to a plant-based diet and the psoriasis cleared up within a month. It’s been almost 2 years and neither of them have a single issue related to it now.

As for myself, while I didn’t have anything close to AS, I used to have a stiff neck for 3-4 days out of the week, along with carpal tunnel issues. My neck was BAD. I’d have to turn my whole body to talk to people because I couldn’t turn my neck most days. I changed my diet as well to plant-based/whole food and haven’t dealt with that stuff since.


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## John_Strychnine (Dec 29, 2020)

I changed fully to vegetarian (mostly non dairy too but cheese is crack) in March this year but haven’t noticed any positive body changes truthfully, other than not being obscenely bloated all the time. 

@TheInvisibleHand 
Yeh in about to move to Humira from Stelara but the only thing that’s gonna be frustrating is when touring resumes but I guess I’ll cross that bridge when it happens. Good to hear that it changed the life of your friend.


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## sojorel (Jan 3, 2021)

John_Strychnine said:


> Ive been Mick Marsed, I was recently diagnosed with Ankylosing spondylitis.
> 
> Unfortunately, an inevitability.


Sorry to hear that, it is very unfortunate. Best wishes and good luck for any treatment that you try.


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## KurtisAslan (Jan 23, 2021)

Just wanted to chime in with a theory... its a pretty indirect path so just follow along for a sec....

I did a little research totally separate from this topic, curious of Browne's ethnicity, as Monuments has always been a very ethnically diverse band. Browne has some unique features and I decided to dig a bit... from what I was able to find, he's of "Ashkenazi Jewish" descent. From what I understand, the Ashkenazi are essentially Germanic Jews, originally exiled from their homeland and spread out through Europe. The weird part about this, is that this particular type of Jew have a very particular group of genetic diseases, that are common, and the mutated genes are very strong. I guess if each parent has any remnant of the gene, and have a child - its nearly a sure shot the child will get the disease.

Oddly enough, the most common diseases associated with Ashkenazi genetics, are musculoskeletal types. 

5 most common are:

*Gaucher Disease (1 in 10)*​The most common Ashkenazi genetic disease is Gaucher disease, with one out of every 10 Ashkenazi Jews carrying the mutated gene that causes the disease. Doctors classify Gaucher disease into three different types, resulting from a deficiency of glucocerebrosidase (GCase) within the body. Type 1, which is treatable, is the most common form.

*Cystic Fibrosis (1 in 24)*​Normally, cells in the lungs and digestive system produce a thin, slippery mucus as part of normal physiological processes. In people with cystic fibrosis, this mucus becomes much thicker and stickier, which damages internal organs, especially the lungs. It is possible to manage this condition with medications and daily care, but those who develop this disease have shortened life spans, typically only living into the mid- to late 30s.

*Tay-Sachs Disease (1 in 27)*​Certain mutations on the HEXA gene cause Tay-Sachs disease, which is characterized by progressive deterioration of nerve cells (neurons) in both the brain and spinal cord. This destruction results from a shortage of an enzyme required to break down fatty substances in the body. There is currently no cure for Tay-Sachs disease

*Familial Dysautonomia (1 in 31)*​Typically, symptoms of this disease are already present when a baby is born. Familial dysautonomia is characterized by changes to nerves in the autonomic nervous system. These nerves are responsible for many involuntary bodily functions, including blood pressure, heart rate, and digestion. While there has been progress in developing effective treatments for this disease, people with the condition usually have shortened lifespans.

*Spinal Muscular Atrophy (1 in 41)*​There are several different types of this disease, but all affect the control of muscle movement due to a decline in the number of specialized nerve cells, called motor neurons, in both the spinal cord and brainstem. Life expectancy varies widely depending on the type. There is no cure for Spinal Muscular Atrophy, but treatment may be effective at managing the symptoms and complications.


I wonder if Browne has the unfortunate fate of getting this gene and is displaying symptoms of one of these diseases, something he would have never had an option to avoid. Really fucking sucks to see him stuck like that and I would be so saddened if it were one of the serious ones on this list.


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## p88 (Jan 23, 2021)

John_Strychnine said:


> I changed fully to vegetarian (mostly non dairy too but cheese is crack) in March this year but haven’t noticed any positive body changes truthfully, other than not being obscenely bloated all the time.
> 
> @TheInvisibleHand
> Yeh in about to move to Humira from Stelara but the only thing that’s gonna be frustrating is when touring resumes but I guess I’ll cross that bridge when it happens. Good to hear that it changed the life of your friend.



Have you thought about doing a complete 180 and doing the carnivore diet? Apparently that has worked wonders for people with inflammatory and autoimmune issues. Like, night and day improvements apparently.

Might be worth looking in to.


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## eggy in a bready (Jan 23, 2021)

p88 said:


> Have you thought about doing a complete 180 and doing the carnivore diet? Apparently that has worked wonders for people with inflammatory and autoimmune issues. Like, night and day improvements apparently.
> 
> Might be worth looking in to.


do NOT do this.


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## TheInvisibleHand (Jan 23, 2021)

p88 said:


> Have you thought about doing a complete 180 and doing the carnivore diet? Apparently that has worked wonders for people with inflammatory and autoimmune issues. Like, night and day improvements apparently.
> 
> Might be worth looking in to.



SOmebody has been listening to Jordan Peterson's daughter...

Do not do it. Its a ridiculous diet.


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## c7spheres (Jan 23, 2021)

Lot's of weed might help you feel better. At least it's better for you than drinkin yourself to death plus it actually reduces inflamation rather than just masking the pain.


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## p88 (Jan 23, 2021)

TheInvisibleHand said:


> SOmebody has been listening to Jordan Peterson's daughter...
> 
> Do not do it. Its a ridiculous diet.



I've not tried this diet, and I've only really just heard about it.

Can you please let me know what's wrong it, and what's wrong with this persons daughter, as I've only heard people rave about it?

To be clear: I'm not defending anything...especially something I don't know anything about!


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## TheInvisibleHand (Jan 23, 2021)

p88 said:


> I've not tried this diet, and I've only really just heard about it.
> 
> Can you please let me know what's wrong it, and what's wrong with this persons daughter, as I've only heard people rave about it?
> 
> To be clear: I'm not defending anything...especially something I don't know anything about!



Mikaela (spelling is a guess there) Peterson is a huge, if not the biggest advocate for the Carnivore diet because she claims it cured all of her autoimmune ailments practically overnight. She's a shill peddling a diet with 0 nutritional authority or any real evidence apart from her own anecdotal evidence that at this point borders on religion. 

But I think eeating literally nothing but meat requires very little critical thinking as to why that is not a diet that we, as omnivores, should be eating. Let alone the huge potential for the extremely counterintuitive spike in blood sugar to the point of being nearly diabetic from a process called gluconeogenesis. The body essentially floods your blood stream with sugars from the breakdown of all of that protein in the liver. The same reason something like Keto doesn't work if you ingest too much protein as a percentage of your total calories. 

Long story short, its a fad diet with a few zealots preaching the gospel of yet another turn of the month trend that will die out when people realize that any diet that commands you to eat any one specific food, and only that, to cure you of whatever ails you is snakeoil at best.


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## p88 (Jan 23, 2021)

interesting...food for thought (pun totally intended lol)...

thanks for breaking that down


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## Jonathan20022 (Jan 23, 2021)

p88 said:


> I've not tried this diet, and I've only really just heard about it.
> 
> Can you please let me know what's wrong it, and what's wrong with this persons daughter, as I've only heard people rave about it?
> 
> To be clear: I'm not defending anything...especially something I don't know anything about!



Like anything in life, do some research and evaluate if you want to try ANY diet for yourself. Me and my roommate follow tons of dietary based Youtubers, including some that jumped into the Carnivore Diet with tremendous results.

Plenty of them document their journey so there's plenty of listening material if you want to get an opinion from someone who actually went through it. Some of them jumped into it as far as 2 - 3 years ago as well.

Everyone will claim that X cured their Y with barely anything scientific to back it everyday.


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## Majoggy (Jan 23, 2021)

John_Strychnine said:


> Ive been Mick Marsed, I was recently diagnosed with Ankylosing spondylitis.
> 
> Unfortunately, an inevitability.



I was diagnosed with this in 2019. I had to take weeks off work, multiple times, because I could barely walk as the pain in my lower back was so debilitating. I thought I had sciatica for five years before I was diagnosed. It was a relief to be honest, because nothing was working.

I feel very fortunate that changing my diet and taking supplements to reduce inflammation has drastically improved things. Cutting out sugar, alcohol etc. Real low hanging fruit.

However I used to enjoy running and weight lifting and these things are very much an impossibility now.


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## John_Strychnine (Jan 29, 2021)

KurtisAslan said:


> Just wanted to chime in with a theory... its a pretty indirect path so just follow along for a sec....
> 
> I did a little research totally separate from this topic, curious of Browne's ethnicity, as Monuments has always been a very ethnically diverse band. Browne has some unique features and I decided to dig a bit... from what I was able to find, he's of "Ashkenazi Jewish" descent. From what I understand, the Ashkenazi are essentially Germanic Jews, originally exiled from their homeland and spread out through Europe. The weird part about this, is that this particular type of Jew have a very particular group of genetic diseases, that are common, and the mutated genes are very strong. I guess if each parent has any remnant of the gene, and have a child - its nearly a sure shot the child will get the disease.
> 
> ...



cool to read but however, my family is a mixture of English, Irish and Caribbean decent. 

the ethnicity you see in me comes from the Caribbean side, one side of my family is black.


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