The brazen shooting of a healthcare CEO in Manhattan, the days-long manhunt and the arrest of an Ivy League graduate has gripped the nation with its twists and turns.
But doctors are fascinated by the revelation that the alleged assassin — who had seemed stable, social and highly intelligent to his friends — had suffered from chronic back pain leading up to the shooting.
Experts say not only would this explain his distain for the healthcare system and insurance companies, they also point out that research shows a direct link between back pain and psychosis.
A major review involving nearly 200,000 people in 2016 found that those with back pain had a 2.6 times higher rate of psychosis, or a loss of connection with reality, than their peers, making them more likely to retreat from society and go into isolation.
The alleged assassin, Luigi Mangione, 26, is said by friends to have suffered a lifelong back injury that was made worse by surfing and biking. He broke contact with many of them in the months leading up to the shooting.
Dr Betsy Grunch, a top spine surgeon in Atlanta, Georgia, said that her patients often go through ‘life-changing’ misery and pain as a result of similar injuries.
Other experts old this website how a lack of sleep from the pain and isolation from not being able to socialize also raises the risk of delusions.
Meanwhile, doctors pointed out how the painkilling medications used to treat back pain can also have serious psychological effects.
Luigi Mangione, 26, from Maryland, is pictured above. He has been charged with shooting the UnitedHealthcare CEO
The above is an image from his Twitter account that appears to show several screws that have been implanted into his spine
Back pain is a debilitating illness that affects 20.9 percent of Americans, or 51.6million people.
Doctors also say that it is one of the most common reasons that people seek medical care, with around 16million Americans saying that it limits their daily activities.
Sarah Nehemiah, who knew Mangione during his time living at a co-living space called Surfbreak in Hawaii, said he left the community in April 2022 due to a lifelong back injury.
Mangione was reported to have been left bedridden for a week after undergoing one basic training surfing session in the community.
He is reported to have undergone spinal surgery this year, and told friends that screws had to be placed into his spine.
An image posted on his Twitter account, and shown above, appears to show an X-ray of his spine following the surgery.
Many doctors — and studies — warn over the links between back pain and feelings of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation.
But doctors also said that it was possible for the injury to also drive someone to psychosis, or a loss of touch with reality.
Dr. Gbolahan Okubadejo (Dr. Bo), Board-Certified Spine Surgeon at The Institute for Comprehensive Spine Care, said it was possible for back pain to lead to someone snapping.
He blamed a range of factors, including the pain itself, and the disruption to sleep, medications and disconnect from others that it would create.
But doctors are fascinated by the revelation that the alleged assassin — who had seemed stable to his friends — had suffered from chronic back pain leading up to the shooting (Mangione in Pennsylvania today)
The above graph shows the percentage of adults aged 18 years and over who had lower back pain in the past three months. It is divided by men and women
‘In general, back pain is very debilitating,’ he said, ‘it is a constant symptom and a 24/7 ordeal, and leaves people in an augmented state’.
‘Chronic back pain can also lead to a lack of sleep, which comes with its own problems.
‘You may have cases where patients try to get stronger medications to help with the symptoms, but these can be denied by doctors or health insurance companies, and that can cause problems as well.
‘There is also social isolation with severe back pain. Patients can end up having their entire life revolve around it, and not be able to spend time with family and friends.’
Mangione was reported missing by his mother a month before the shooting, reports suggest. Friends also say they had lost contact with him.
At the same time, he appears to have been an avid reader — with his Goodreads account listing more than 100 books that he had read.
He has also talked about ‘Unabomber’ Ted Kaczynski, who initially tried to live as a hermit in nature before planting bombs that killed three Americans and injured many.
Dr Bo said it was possible that these factors could have led to Mangione, or others, suffering from a disconnect from reality, which would lead to actions that wouldn’t normally be expected.
But he stressed that many, many questions, remain unanswered.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .