Former freestyle athlete Teemu Packalén is positive about his future surgery.
Although Teemu Packalén is a little nervous about the upcoming surgery, he is mostly happy that something is finally being done about his neck problem. Jarno Kuusinen / AOP
Former freestyler Teemu Packalén, 36, confirms to Iltalehte that he will have neck surgery within two weeks. The cause is a herniated disc in the neck, the symptoms of which are worsened by the Parsonage-Turner syndrome and a narrow nerve root opening, already diagnosed in Packalén.
With the surgery, Packalén’s competition plans are shifted: he would have had the ADCC lock wrestling Nordic championship on August 15. Of course, Packalén is saddened by the postponement of the Games, but he is very optimistic about the surgery.
– I have hellish pains that affect my life. I’m just waiting for the moment when I wake up and it doesn’t hurt anymore, Packalén tells Iltalehte.
– Of course, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared – anything can happen. On the other hand, I’m also happy: I have a problem that will be fixed, Packalén adds.
The diagnosis almost went unnoticed
Pains have plagued the former sports star before. Two weeks before the last match of his career in 2021, Packalén was under anesthesia for his pain.
Parsonage-Turner syndrome is eternal, which even Teemu Packalén’s upcoming surgery won’t fix – but at least the herniated disc wouldn’t trigger it anymore. BREAK THE CAP
The procedure only helped for a short time, as the pain returned in August 2022, when Packalén was diagnosed with Parsonage-Turner syndrome. Health Library according to it is a rare syndrome of the peripheral nervous system, which includes muscle weakness due to sudden, severe pain in the upper limbs. Often the pain improves slowly over months or years.
The athlete’s pains returned again last March, when Packalén was taken to the hospital by ambulance.
– I told the doctor that I have Parsonage-Turner syndrome. The doctor’s mouth dropped open and he asked, “what is that?” Packalén recalls to Iltalehte.
The athlete had a feeling that this time the pains were not caused by his syndrome. According to Packalén, doctors examined his 2022 MRIs but found nothing significant. So no new magnetic images were taken.
– I thought “don’t really bother”. They then gave me some opiate-based pain relief, says Packalén.
Teemu Packalén says that the doctors did not take new MRIs because they did not see anything significant in the images taken less than a year ago. BREAK THE CAP
In recent weeks, the pains tormented again, when Packalén demanded to be referred for magnetic resonance imaging. It paid off, because he was diagnosed with a herniated disc in his neck, which the doctors had not found before.
Packalén doesn’t want to panic, but he says that he discussed with his coach whether the final moments of his career would have been easier if the surgery had been performed at the very beginning of the symptoms.
– I am by no means saying that it would have affected the end result. But during my career, I’ve been mentally exhausted, and I haven’t really talked publicly about these neck pains. But I’m not one to “whine and whine”, I accept the situation as it is, Packalén emphasizes.
Rehabilitation amuses the athlete
After the surgery, Packalén won’t be able to wrestle for about 4-8 weeks, and a long rehabilitation awaits him.
– When I heard that, I started laughing. I was sure they would say “never again”, Packalén opens his relief to Iltalehti.
According to Packalén, the rehabilitation is such that it would be possible to get back to training quickly. However, Packalén is not going to rush his rehabilitation.
– If I had a professional career in between, I would be in a hell of a hurry. Now you can do it in peace, so that the end result will be good. If I could even make it to the 2025 WC, it would already be a victory for me, Packalén hints at the end.
Teemu Packalén says that luckily he can hold his child in his arms without pain. Jarno Kuusinen