Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show has come to an end after 19 seasons, and many fans are looking back on the ups and downs of her career. Recently, the 64-year-old shared that she experienced “excruciating” back pain after getting COVID-19 during the pandemic.
Ellen chose to step back from the limelight after facing accusations that her show had a toxic work environment. Instead, she wanted to focus on her love for animal conservation and recently finished work on The Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda.
However, she was recently diagnosed with COVID and updated her followers on social media, mentioning that she was surprised to have back pain as one of her symptoms.
The host announced that she was taking “proper precautions” when she got the virus in December 2020, and she confirmed that she was indeed following them.
A week later, DeGeneres shared a health update saying she was “100%” better and went on to talk about something that doctors “don’t tell you” regarding her condition.
Every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. EST, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” showcases a variety of celebrities, athletes, musicians, comedians, interesting stories, funny segments, and a house band.
On Tuesday, April 20, the guests included Ellen DeGeneres, Billie Joe Armstrong, and musical performers Jimmie Allen and Brad Paisley.
“I feel amazing,” she shared. “But nobody warns you about the intense back pain. I had no idea that was a symptom until I talked to some others.”
“Really? Who knew?” DeGeneres asked. “I’m dealing with back pain too.”
In the year Covid first appeared, not much was known about its symptoms because there wasn’t enough research done yet. At that time, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) didn’t officially list back pain as a symptom of Covid. However, they did mention that people could experience “muscle or bodily aches.”
Some of the other early signs of Covid included having a fever or chills, a cough, trouble breathing, feeling really tired, headaches, losing your sense of taste or smell, a sore throat, stuffy or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
On the other hand, the NHS talks about why many people experience back pain and other issues with their joints and muscles.
According to the NHS website, “many patients will have had some aches and pains before becoming unwell with Covid.” “Illness may have resurfaced or worsened these difficulties.” This is because regular movement benefits our joints and muscles.
“People who are unwell with COVID are less active than usual. Aches and aches, stiffness, and muscle weakness are possible outcomes.”
If your muscles aren’t strong, you might find it hard to stand up, go up stairs, hold things in your hands, or lift your arms high. When Covid spread around the world, many people reported having back and shoulder pain.
Another reason for the increase in back pain during this time was the growth of working from home. Even those who didn’t have to work from home were affected because they couldn’t socialize or go out much, which made them less active and more likely to sit for long periods.
A study in Malta with 388 participants found that 30% of people had chronic back pain before Covid, but after Covid started, that number jumped to 49%. Most of these people said they had never experienced back pain before the pandemic.
It’s really important to know that having back pain doesn’t automatically mean you have Covid. There are many reasons why your back might hurt. If you also have stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing, or a fever, your muscle pain could be a sign of something else, like the flu, which is more common in the UK during the winter.
Similarly, pneumonia patients may have back pain due to thoracic inflammation and infection. Back discomfort may also result in the following symptoms:
Shooting, scorching, or stabbing sensation
Pain radiating down your leg
Pins and Needles
A lack of ability to relax
A constant dull ache.