A woman who was almost left paralysed after a single neck stretch is warning others not to make the same mistake.
Amanda Borish, 28, from California, had been practicing various stretches after she began suffering from intense neck pain earlier this year.
But one day, her stretch left her limbs totally numb and she was rushed to hospital.
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Amanda explains the stretch she tried below:
"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.
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"[The next day] I went to the emergency room 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."
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Amanda returned to the hospital the following day and was referred to Riverside Community Hospital to see a neurosurgeon.
"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," she continued.
"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."
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Amanda explained that she struggled with the walker – and having to wear a neck brace – initially.
She said: "I felt so confined and it sucked... 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 with 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.
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"... 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."
In a bid to help others, Amanda has been raising awareness of her accident on her TikTok, @swanprincess_, where she has thousands of views and likes.
One person asked: “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!"
Meanwhile another shocked viewer said: "New fear unlocked."
If you're struggling with neck pain, always seek the advice of a medical professional. We're wishing Amanda a speedy recovery.
Lucy Devine