Ozzy Osbourne reveals he has Parkinson's in emotional interview
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The 73-year-olds health problems were seemingly triggered by a fall in his Los Angeles home. Due to the severe nature of the fall, the singer “dislodged metal rods that had been put in his body,” reigniting old pain in his back, neck and shoulders. These issues kept the star from performing on stage, instead putting him in hospital for surgery on the top of his neck. However, things were sadly going from bad to worse for the Paranoid singer, who also found out he has a mild form of Parkin 2, a very rare genetic form of Parkinson’s disease.
The “major surgery” to try and relieve the star of chronic pain in multiple areas of his body also aimed to try and get the star back on stage and performing, but in a conversation with Sirius XM the star revealed just how much he is struggling.
Osbourne said: “‘I’m not back to 100%. I’m about 75% there, but it’s such a slow recovery.
“Spine surgery is bad news, man. I’ve been in such a bad state with pain; I’m still having a lot of pain.
“There was a point I was convinced that I was dying. I was in that much discomfort and pain and misery.
“I thought they were all hiding it from me. I remember saying to Sharon, ‘You’ve gotta level with me. Is it worse than you’re making it out [to be]?’ She says, ‘No.’ I’ve dropped all the medication for pain now.”
Despite physical therapy every morning for three days a week, Osbourne said that his “stamina has gone” and that an hour on a machine known as the elliptical trainer – or a cross trainer as it is also known – “nearly killed him”.
In an interview with Good Morning America back in January 2020, both Sharon and Ozzy appeared for an interview to discuss the star’s Parkinson’s.
“It has been terribly challenging for all of us,” Osbourne said reflecting on February 2019 when he suffered the fall at his home.
Sharon, 69, went on to explain that Parkin 2 although “not a death sentence” does affect certain nerves in the body.
She said: “It’s like you have a good day and then a really bad day,” before Osbourne added: “A year ago last month, I was in a shocking state.”
The Parkinson’s diagnosis, along with the effects of his neck surgery has meant that Osbourne is on a “host” of different medication, but he is still having to live with chronic side effects.
Explaining this, Osbourne added: “I got numbness down this arm [he points to his right arm] from the surgery, my legs keep going cold, I don’t know if that is the Parkinson’s or what. That’s the problem, because they cut nerves during the surgery, I had never heard of nerve pain. It is a weird feeling.
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“I’m on medication for Parkin, although it is a really low dose. I’m not dying from Parkinson’s. I’ve been working with it most of my life.”
Since the interview on Good Morning America, Sharon has spoken out about her husband having more surgery to correct his health issues. In September 2021 she assured fans that the star has his Parkinson’s “under control”.
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that predominantly affects the dopamine-producing neurons in the part of the brain known as a substantia nigra. Due to the progressive nature of the condition, symptoms develop over several years, and can be different for every individual.
The Parkinson’s Foundation explain that the most common symptoms of PD include:
- Tremor (trembling) in hands, arms, legs, jaw, or head
- Stiffness of the limbs and trunk
- Slowness of movement
- Impaired balance and coordination, sometimes leading to falls.
However other symptoms may include depression, difficulty swallowing, urinary problems, skin problems and sleep disruption.
Parkin 2, accounts for around 10 to 20 percent of early-onset PD and involves the PRKN gene and subsequent protein known as Parkin. This protein plays a vital role in breaking down unneeded proteins and the maintenance of mitochondria.
According to MedlinePlus, researchers have identified more than 200 PRKN gene mutations that cause Parkinson’s disease. Although it is still unclear why mutations of this gene cause Parkinson’s it is thought that the loss of parkin activity allows unneeded proteins to accumulate and thus disrupt normal cell activities.
As parkin is normally abundant in the brain, its loss could lead to the impairment or death of nerve cells, including those that produce dopamine. And it is the loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells that is a characteristic feature of Parkinson disease.
Currently there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, but various treatments are available to help individuals reduce the main symptoms and maintain a good quality of life. The main treatments recommended by the NHS include:
- Supportive treatments, such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy
- Medication
- In some cases, brain surgery.
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