Mötley Crüe’s founding member and guitarist, Mick Mars, retired from the band’s touring last year after battling a painful spinal condition, known as ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
Over the years, the condition has significantly impaired his movement and caused him agonising pain.
The guitarist even had hip replacement surgery back in 2014, but sadly the pain didn’t go away.
In 2022, the star made the difficult decision to step back from the limelight which was announced in an official statement.
The statement read: “Mick Mars, co-founder and lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe for the past 41 years, has announced today that due to his ongoing painful struggle with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), he will no longer be able to tour with the band.
“Mick will continue as a member of the band, but can no longer handle the rigours of the road.
“AS is an extremely painful and crippling degenerative disease, which affects the spine.”
According to the NHS, AS describes a type of inflammatory arthritis that causes pain and swelling in the spine and the joints that connect the bottom of the spine to the pelvis.
In AS, the changes dealt to the spine can be seen on an X-ray.
While the tell-tale sign of AS can vary, they usually include the following problems:
- Back pain and stiffness
- Pain and swelling in other parts of the body
- Extreme tiredness (fatigue).
The health service explains that these symptoms tend to develop gradually, over several months or years, and may come and go over time.
The condition can get better with time for some, but it can also slowly get worse for others.
The statement added: “While change is never easy, we accept Mick’s decision to retire from the band due to the challenges with his health.
“We have watched Mick manage his ankylosing spondylitis for decades and he has always managed it with utmost courage and grace.
“To say ‘enough is enough’ is the ultimate act of courage.”
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