Larry's back

[TheQuiet1]

I know this must sound like the most bizarre thing ever but I was wondering if any of you could tell me any more about Larry's back? I understand he has some problems with it?

This isn't part of some weird fetish honestly! It's just I have a mild case of a certain back problem of my own and I was wondering if Larry has something similiar........

So can anyone help, please?

 

[Lally1011]

I think he had back surgery during the POP era and was out for a while during its recording - that's the extent of my knowledge.

 

[VicksSs]

Well, all I know is he has a bad posture; look at him in the drums He's probably correcting it, but you can see it on RAH, that's for sure

I know he had something in his hands as well, but dunno further about his back

 

[FEELINNUMB]

Larry had/has a bad disc, which was supposedly operated on at the very end of '95, beginning of '96. That, and the exercises, that also have a beneficial effect for PLEBANS. supposedly allow him to keep drumming for us without terrible pain or debility. VicksSs is right about his posture though, that can do weird things with your neck, which affects your hands, and God knows Larry has had his share of problems with that.

Weird thing is, Gavin had a similar back problem a few years ago, only worse from what I read, he was in hospital for a long time, and went through a lot. Then Bono developed his back problems, and the joke was that there is either something about U2 or the drinking water in Dublin that causes discs to go wonky! I wish you luck with your back...

 

[Sad_Girl]

According to Bill Flanagan's book, U2 At the End of the World, :

"Bono says Larry tried different doctors without success until he went to a German who brought in a holistic healer who started giving Larry shots of bull's blood. That did the trick! Larry's Irish doctor refuses to accept it - he looks at X rays of Larry's crooked spine and says it's impossible, but Larry feels fine. He flies to Germany for shots of bull's blood regularly."

 

[mee2]

if u watch the video u2 Vh1 special with the footage of how to dismantle an atomic bomb larry mentions before the opening night. i suppose this is the feeling you get the night before a surgery i have never had one.
if he hasn't got one done then how was he operated for his back problems in 95/96. can anyone explain me this?
it looks like a contradiction

 

[briarrose]

I always thought he made playing the drums look very painful. He appears to be wincing while playing. I could be wrong.

 

[FEELINNUMB]

if u watch the video u2 Vh1 special with the footage of how to dismantle an atomic bomb larry mentions before the opening night. i suppose this is the feeling you get the night before a surgery i have never had one.
if he hasn't got one done then how was he operated for his back problems in 95/96. can anyone explain me this?
it looks like a contradiction

I THINK he says major surgery. I THINK...
Today, there are forms of back surgery that aren't considered major surgery; from my perspective, having a boil lanced is major surgery. From Larry's, especialy concerning himself, he'd have to have a head transplant to admit he's having major surgery. Boy doesn't like a fuss!

 

[mee2]

thanks feeling numb.

 

[TheQuiet1]

Thank you for all the information everyone.

I wish you luck with your back...

Thanks. It's nothing serious or life threatening or even painful or anything like that (and I've got the X-rays and scans to prove it!). I've been discharged from the specialist I've been seeing for the past year or so and since I dislocated my knee it somehow seems to have helped my back straighten slightly. Basically things seem to be getting better, not worse. *fingers crossed* famous last words! lol.

 

[Lemon Grrrrrl]

he'd have to have a head transplant to admit he's having major surgery.

And thank goodness he's so dang good looking we won't have to worry about that!

Quiet1 - I hope your back continues to get better! Try strengthening your abdominal muscles as well as some straight leg lifts while laying face down. (I'm a massage therapist, and I see a lot of people with low back trouble, some from an accident, some just have always had it. I've found that strenghtening the abs and anything you can do to fire the hamstring muscles, such as straight leg raises, can greatly help ease those muscles in the back.)

 

[Rachel D.]

There's more in Flanagan's book which says something about Larry saying that special exercises he was doing were actually what had helped his back, not the bull's blood. Right? (It's been almost four years since I read that book, so my info may be a little sketchy.)

 

[TheQuiet1]

Quiet1 - I hope your back continues to get better! Try strengthening your abdominal muscles as well as some straight leg lifts while laying face down. (I'm a massage therapist, and I see a lot of people with low back trouble, some from an accident, some just have always had it. I've found that strenghtening the abs and anything you can do to fire the hamstring muscles, such as straight leg raises, can greatly help ease those muscles in the back.)

Thanks for the advice. I'll give it a go!