There’s nothing worse than trying to work while sick or injured, but after learning that Burning Witches guitarist Courtney Cox has spent years touring with multiple herniated discs in her back, I’m gonna complain less about a little clicking on my computer when I have the sniffles.
During a recent appearance on Side Jams With Bryan Reesman, Cox opened up about her life and career with the Swiss metal band, revealing that she’s been playing injured for a long time. “I have three herniated discs in my lower back from a nasty car accident from when I was way younger, so I really have to be careful,” she explained.
“I was too scared to have surgery, and then I was suggested not to have the surgery because I was too young,” Cox continued. “So I’ve kind of just dealt with it. At first, I had to have an epidural every three months just to live. But as I’ve gotten older, sometimes it acts up if I move the wrong way or lift something the wrong way. Knock on wood, so far I’ve been okay.”
Cox also shared that she could have surgery now, just like one of her bandmates who was in a similar situation. “Actually, the other guitar player, Romana, just had the surgery done,” she said. “She had the same problems I have in her lower back, and we actually almost had to end our last U.S. tour early because she moved the wrong way.”
“Then, being in a van for hours on end, she could barely walk,” Cox went on to explain. “She was in and out of urgent cares and getting this shot and that shot. But then, when we finally got home, she went in and had the back surgery.”
Going on to offer some more insight into her personal circumstance, Cox said that she doesn’t “normally notice” any pain. “Obviously, with the strap, you can adjust and move,” she continued, “but with your central gravity and stuff, you have this piece of wood, so you’re constantly trying to fight not going forward and always trying to be conscious of keeping your shoulders back.”
Cox then concluded: “The show must go on, though.”
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