Maricel Soriano bares difficulty in walking due to spinal arthritis
Maricel Soriano opened up about how she is suffering from a health issue on her spine that has started to compromise her ability to walk.
On her YouTube vlog, the veteran actress took the time to discuss her spinal arthritis that affects her neck and reaches down to her feet, causing her to experience pain whenever she moves.
"Nung first na-experience ko 'to, in-injectionan na ako sa likod. Tapos 'yung sumunod, dahil hindi pa nawawala 'yung pain kasi side lang eh, so ginawa nila mismong sa spine nila ako sinaksakan ng steriods," Soriano recalled.
"Tapos matagal bago nag-effect kaya iika-ika akong maglakad. Tsaka 'yung paa ko, manhid, parang may mga karayom na tumutusok," she added.
A spinal arthritis is an inflammation in the joints between the 33 bones that make up your spinal column. Per Cleveland Clinic, this health issue is very common in people older than 60, and while it cannot be cured, it can be treated with pain relievers and physical therapy.
To make things worse, the local star is also suffering from a "pinched nerve" that she inherited from her family. According to Mayo Clinic, this occurs when too much pressure is applied to a nerve by surrounding tissues, resulting in pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness.
Unlike with her spinal arthritis, Soriano is not too worried about her pinched nerve as this is still curable.
"Ito namang sakit na 'to, gumagaling naman 'to. Actually ang sabi nga magpa-opera ka na para matapos na ang sakit na 'yan. Pupunta tayo doon, pero kasi tinitingan namin lahat ng way kung papaano para hindi na surgery ang mangyari. Sana, kasi ayaw ko," she said.
"Ang operation is not a joke. That's why parang gusto ko rin ma-introduce rin ako dun sa ibang anggulo para gumaling ako," she added, citing how she previously underwent cesarean section.
In the meantime, Soriano does physical activities to help cope with her condition, such as regularly walking "with faith and confidence" in a swimming pool. On top of this, she is also undergoing physical therapy.
"May stretching, tapos may hinahatak ka, hinahatak 'yung balakang mo, tapos hinahatak 'yung leeg mo. Sabi ko, 'Sana pagkatapos ng nito, tumangkad naman ako. Ang dami niyong ginawang hatak sa'kin ah,'" Soriano joked.
"Dapat gumagalaw para hindi pumanaw," she added. "Nakakayanan ko lahat ng ito kasi napakadaming masalimuot akong dinaanan sa buhay ko. Kaya siguro, naintindihan niyo, at doon sa mga taong may sakit din na ganito, when your body talks, you listen."
She highlighted how she is excited to work again after starring in the 2024 series Lavender Fields and teased that she has an upcoming movie.
