Richie Sambora turns to NFL rehab experts to help him play guitar again after “gruesome” hand injury
Richie Sambora has turned to NFL rehab experts to help him play the guitar again after a “gruesome” hand injury he suffered earlier this year.
According to People, the former Bon Jovi guitarist is on the road to recovery after an accident in April that had him needing emergency surgery to rebreak and reset his left hand.
Now, he’s undergoing rehabilitation with top-tier sports medicine experts who typically treat NFL athletes – and he’s healing at double the typical rate, according to a source speaking to the publication. Despite describing the process as “arduous, slow, and painful,” the source says Sambora remains focused on regaining his strength and getting back into shape.
READ MORE: “You couldn’t be in a rock band unless you looked a certain way”: Why Tim Pierce didn’t join Bon Jovi – despite playing guitar on their first hit
Sambora’s injury happened just a week before his scheduled performance at the Unbridled Eve Derby Gala on 2 May. While playing a casual game of touch football back in his hometown of New Jersey – where he’d been caring for his mother – the guitarist caught a pass and was knocked into a curb, fracturing his hand in two places.
“He caught a ball and some guy gave him a touch right into a curb. He was completely swollen, and fractured his hand in two places,” the source told People. “He’ll undergo surgery next week.”
Sambora, 65 at the time, eventually underwent emergency surgery to rebreak and reset the bones. Incredibly, he still took the stage at the Derby Gala, performing four Bon Jovi hits – Livin’ on a Prayer, It’s My Life, I’ll Be There for You, and Wanted Dead or Alive – all of which he co-wrote.
Richie “rocked the house” despite being in “so much pain,” the source said. “When he told the doctor he was going to the Derby, the doctor said, ‘You’re out of your mind.’ But he said, ‘See ya! I’m going.’ That’s the kind of guy Richie is. He’s a man of his word.”
Now 66, Sambora spent his birthday earlier this month (11 July) in Princeville, Hawaii, enjoying a relaxed round of golf with friends as he continues to rest and promote his new single, Born to Rock.
“It’s a fun and happy anthem for those who were born to rock! Plain and simple,” Sambora told People. He also shared the song on Instagram, writing, “My birthday gift to you.”
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
