A woman has revealed how a single stretch caused her limbs to go entirely numb and damage her spinal cord – and is now left using a walking aid.

Amanda Borish, 28, from California, US, used to suffer from intense neck pain and in a bid to relieve the symptoms, decided to start practising various stretches.

Until one day, this year, her limbs went completely numb thanks to a wrong move – and she narrowly avoided becoming paralysed.

"After I did my stretch, I sat up as usual – except this time, my arms and legs were completely numb," Amanda said.

"My hands felt like TV static.

"I went to sleep in hopes I would wake up not numb anymore.

"I went to the emergency room [the next day] and they did a few cat scans on me.

"They found I had 'cervical stenosis' and said it was really serious, so I had to stay the night.

"I risked being quadriplegic if I went back home and I wasn't expecting to have to stay in hospital.

"I cried a lot and went home against their wishes because I wasn't ready."

Amanda visited the hospital the next day and was later referred to Riverside Community Hospital to see a neurosurgeon.

On 10 May 2022, she was rushed into surgery to repair her spinal cord.

She said: "My surgeon said that my spinal cord damage was so bad and that if I had stretched wrong one more time or even fell down, I would have probably been quadriplegic.

"Learning that information scared me a lot because I didn't realise how serious it was.

'Now, I am at home because I need to recover and I'm doing physical therapy because my legs don't work like they used to anymore.

"I have to use a walker for the time being and also have titanium and six screws in my neck."

Amanda was released home and given instructions to use a walking aid and wear a neck brace until 21 June, when she felt 'confined'.
 
She said: "I felt so confined and it sucked.

"It gets so freaking hot wearing it.

"The doctor told me that I am allowed to sit on my bed and lounge around without my neck brace, but if I'm walking or sleeping, I need to wear it.

"The walker aid isn't supposed to be forever so I'm dealing with it as best as I can.

"It does indeed make me feel older, so I decorated it was a bunch of stickers to make it feel more 'me.'

"I'm trying to get my legs strong now, so I try not to use the walker if I don't think I absolutely need it – but sometimes, that is a mistake on my part.

"I end up having to hold onto the person I am with, so I don't fall.

"The people around me have reacted a lot differently to my spinal cord injury than I have.

"Everyone around me takes it a lot more seriously than I do – I'm just really positive.

"I never really realised how serious it was until I realised I [could] still be paralysed."

Amanda shared the shocking details of her accident on TikTok (@swanprincess_) where she garnered over 560.5k views and 46,000 likes.

She has been trying to stay as positive as possible but has decided she is going to be a lot more careful in the future.

She added: "I don’t think I’m ever going to do that particular stretch that I did ever again.

"But I might stretch my neck in safer ways.

"I'm going to ask my doctor what are safe stretches that I'm allowed to do."

A woman has revealed how a single stretch caused her limbs to go entirely numb and damage her spinal cord – and is now left using a walking aid.

Amanda Borish, 28, from California, U.S., used to suffer from intense neck pain and in a bid to relieve the symptoms, decided to start practising various stretches.

Until one day, this year, her limbs went completely numb thanks to a wrong move – and she narrowly avoided becoming paralysed.

"After I did my stretch, I sat up as usual – except this time, my arms and legs were completely numb," Amanda told NeedToKnow.Online.

"My hands felt like TV static.

"I went to sleep in hopes I would wake up not numb anymore.

"I went to the emergency room [the next day] and they did a few cat scans on me.

"They found I had 'cervical stenosis' and said it was really serious, so I had to stay the night.

"I risked being quadriplegic if I went back home and I wasn't expecting to have to stay in hospital.

"I cried a lot and went home against their wishes because I wasn't ready."

Amanda visited the hospital the next day and was later referred to Riverside Community Hospital to see a neurosurgeon.

On 10 May 2022, she was rushed into surgery to repair her spinal cord.

She said: "My surgeon said that my spinal cord damage was so bad and that if I had stretched wrong one more time or even fell down, I would have probably been quadriplegic.

"Learning that information scared me a lot because I didn't realise how serious it was.

'Now, I am at home because I need to recover and I'm doing physical therapy because my legs don't work like they used to anymore.

"I have to use a walker for the time being and also have titanium and six screws in my neck."

Amanda was released home and given instructions to use a walking aid and wear a neck brace until 21 June, when she felt 'confined'.
 
She said: "I felt so confined and it sucked.

"It gets so freaking hot wearing it.

"The doctor told me that I am allowed to sit on my bed and lounge around without my neck brace, but if I'm walking or sleeping, I need to wear it.

"The walker aid isn't supposed to be forever so I'm dealing with it as best as I can.

"It does indeed make me feel older, so I decorated it was a bunch of stickers to make it feel more 'me.'

"I'm trying to get my legs strong now, so I try not to use the walker if I don't think I absolutely need it – but sometimes, that is a mistake on my part.

"I end up having to hold onto the person I am with, so I don't fall.

"The people around me have reacted a lot differently to my spinal cord injury than I have.

"Everyone around me takes it a lot more seriously than I do – I'm just really positive.

"I never really realised how serious it was until I realised I [could] still be paralysed."

Amanda shared the shocking details of her accident on TikTok (@swanprincess_) where she garnered over 560.5k views and 46,000 likes.
One user said: “Me watching this who cracks my neck every time I get the urge...”

Another person said: “I need to know the exact stretch you did so I can never end up like this thank you," to which Amanda replied: "hung my neck and arms off the ledge of the couch!"

Another shocked viewer said: "New fear unlocked."

One person commented: "Rocking that neck brace tho, glad to see you're home recovering!" [sic]

"Omg the other day I stretched my neck by putting my head back and heard a loud click, I couldn't move my head for days, I'm so glad it went away," said another viewer.

"Damn that’s so scary... *cracks neck violently*", said someone else.

She has been trying to stay as positive as possible but has decided she is going to be a lot more careful in the future.

She added: "I don’t think I’m ever going to do that particular stretch that I did ever again.

"But I might stretch my neck in safer ways.

"I'm going to ask my doctor what are safe stretches that I'm allowed to do."

ENDS

EDITOR’S NOTE: Video Usage Licence: (EXCLUSIVE) We have obtained an exclusive licence from the copyright holder. A copy of the licence is available on request.

Video Restrictions: None.