On Saturday, July 16, it was discovered that renowned Filipino actor Pen Medina, 71, is presently in the hospital due to a spinal problem. He has apparently been hospitalized for three weeks and is unable to stand or sit. Alex Medina, the actor’s son, updated his father’s health on Instagram. In the tweet, he asked for charitable contributions to help with his father’s medical expenditures and revealed that Medina would need extensive spine surgery on July 19, 2022.
Alex Medina also revealed that his father has Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD). His son provided no more information on how the actor has been keeping up lately. Pen Medina is most known for his appearances in films such as Muro-ami (1999), Deathrow (2000), Layang bilanggo (2010), and 10000 Hours (2013).
View this post on Instagram
What happens to Pen Medina?
Pen Medina has Degenerative Disc Disease, according to his son’s Instagram post (DDD). Based on the nature of the illness and its progression, the 71-year-old actor has most certainly been sick for many years.
According to Alex Medina’s post:
“Our father, 71-year-old actor Pen Medina, has been hospitalized for three weeks and is presently unable to sit or stand owing to Degenerative Disc Disease” (DDD). On Tuesday, July 19, he will have extensive spine surgery.”
He went on to say:
“Due to the epidemic, our father had little employment, which drained his money during the last two years.” We are doing all we can to save him, but he will have a long road to recovery.”
Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment of Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
This illness affects the spine in old age when the discs wear out and become drier, causing back discomfort. The discs in the spinal column cushion the movement of the vertebrae, allowing for smooth back motion. As a result, when the discs are damaged, the cushioning effect is much decreased, which explains why Pat Medina is unable to sit or stand.
According to Spine Universe, the condition is caused by a number of reasons, the most important of which is old age. According to the medical portal:
“The spine begins to degenerate between the ages of 20 and 25,” says Dr. (Neel) Anand (MD orthopedic surgery and director of spine trauma at Cedars-Sinai Spine Center, Los Angeles.) However, there is a reason why most 20-somethings aren’t suffering from back pain: it takes a long time for spinal discs to wear down on their own.” ‘
Other factors may include involvement in severe sports, which promotes the degeneration of the spinal discs. Degenerative Disc Disease may also be caused by spinal column injuries, obesity, and other spinal illnesses. This illness causes back discomfort, lack of movement, spine rigidity, and other symptoms. Meanwhile, in severe instances, the patient may have radiating pain in the lower sections of his back, which may often produce discomfort in the legs.
Options for treatment
Treatment options include medicine and steroids, which help decrease inflammation and discomfort, according to Web MD. In severe circumstances, physical therapy and even surgery may be considered to alleviate the patient’s discomfort. This indicates that Pen Medina may have advanced Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD). Pen Medina’s recuperation will hopefully be aided by the next operation. He most recently starred in the 2022 television series Love You Stranger.
