Feldberg Battling Bulging Disc, GBO Status Uncertain

Veteran pro hasn't thrown in more than a month.

Veteran touring professional Dave Feldberg is suffering from a bulging disc in his neck, putting his status for the upcoming Dynamic Discs Glass Blown Open into doubt.

The injury, which Feldberg said was a result of working out in anticipation of the coming disc golf season as opposed to being form-based, has been bothering him since before the Memorial Championships in early March. He went on to finish in fourth place at the La Mirada Open, and recently had an MRI to find the culprit of the pain. Doctors told him the injury is located between his C5 and C6 vertebrae and also resulted in some strain to his rotator cuff.

He has not thrown a disc since La Mirada, he said.

Feldberg will have an epidural injection in his neck today, with the hope that he will be healed enough to compete in the GBO. There is some risk, though, that the disc can become herniated while throwing, which would result in season-ending surgery.

“I’d rather it already be that way so I could just get it taken care of,” Feldberg said. “Being in the middle of not knowing that it can heal or may not heal and going through all the pain, I’d rather it just be broken all the way and just fix it. But they won’t fix it until it’s broken all the way.”

Feldberg said the pain was such that he has not been able to sleep at night, and that doctors were shocked that he was able to place so well at his last event.

“Some people say this thing ruins their life, some people say that they can get through it,” Feldberg said. “I was looking up how to treat it and there’s a book called Get Your Life Back, because the pain that is involved is redonkulous.”

In addition to the epidural, Feldberg said the injury can be treated with physical therapy. While the prognosis has left his immediate playing status up in the air, he has no plans to retire anytime soon.

“It doesn’t make me want to quit,” Feldberg said. “Like I’ve always said, if I had to, I’d be out there in a wheelchair throwing rollers.”