Written By: Bhavya Gulati | Updated : October 14, 2025 10:09 PM IST
Will Tiger Woods Return Golf Legend Undergoes 7th Back Surgery for Collapsed Disc
Tiger Woods has just undergone his seventh back surgery, this time because of a collapsed disc in his lower spine. The golf icon, at 49 years old, explained that he experienced pain and reduced movement in the back, after which a test conducted by doctors revealed that he had a damaged disc, pieces of disc material, and a narrowing of his spinal canal. He had a lumbar disc replacement surgery on October 10, 2011, at the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, and it was successful with that. He said in a statement that he is already sure that it was the right decision to make on his back and his health in general.
Woods has not provided a timetable on his golfing comeback, but he has not played at all since the PNC Championship. Throughout the years, he has undergone several spine surgeries, the first back surgery happened in 2014 to take pressure off a pinched nerve, and since then, he has undergone several additional surgeries to address the persistent pain. Woods has had numerous health challenges in his career that include injuries caused by his 2021 car accident, which has left his leg severely harmed.
You have some soft discs between the bones vertebrae. These discs have the effect of cushions or shock absorbers. These discs may get worn out or destroyed over time or as a result of injury.
A collapsed disc refers to one of these cushions that has lost its shape, height or service. This can lead to:
In order to resolve the problem, Tiger was subjected to a lumbar disc replacement, a form of spinal surgery. Here's what it involves:
The fractured discis excised in the lower back lumbar spine
It is substituted with a ball constructed of plastic and metal
The aim is to normalise the natural motion, and minimise pain
This surgery is usually the option picked when non surgical measures such as physical therapy or injections fail. It is not as prevalent as spinal fusion but will maintain a more natural movement
The majority of the patients are kept in the hospital within a few days
It may take weeks to months to heal depending on a person
Physical therapy is most often required to restore the strength and the flexibility
In the case of sport such as Tiger Woods, it takes a long time to resume competitive sport and it will depend on how the body will react to the surgery
Tiger Woods has already survived a very long list of injuries, such as a major car crash in 2021 and several past back surgeries. Surgery complicates the next one, and recovery becomes even more difficult.
But all of this does not stop him because he is fighting to get back to golf displaying remarkable strength. This surgery is not necessarily only about getting back to the golf course but rather it might as well be about his quality of life in his day to day life.
Overall, if you face any such symptoms, you must take care of it and get it treated at the earliest before the symptoms worsens.
