Joanna Gaines’ Health Issues: Her Back Injury, Surgery & More
Joanna Gaines has been sharing her life with fans since Fixer Upper‘s first season aired in 2014. Since then, she and husband Chip Gaines have made many professional strides, while also keeping fans updated on their personal lives.
For Joanna, that included a major health setback in 2022, which she posted about on social media at the time. She had to have a procedure done to correct a past injury from years ago.
Scroll down for everything we know about Joanna’s health struggles and how she’s doing today.
What surgery did Joanna Gaines have?
Joanna has had back surgery twice. Specifically, she had her first microdisectomy in 2001, and then another one at the end of 2022. A microdisectomy is a procedure done to treat herniated discs, per HSS. It is a “minimally invasive” procedure to help alleviate the pain from herniated discs.
In a December 2022 Instagram post, Joanna explained, “I’ve always joked that my back likes to act up at the most inconvenient times and I was a bit stressed bc of the timing of it all with the holiday season.” She also revealed that she had to cancel her second date with Chip to have the 2001 surgery!
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Her post included photos from the hospital bed and when she was resting back at home.
How did Joanna Gaines get her back injury?
Joanna hurt her back while cheerleading in high school. As she explained in her Instagram post, it was “basically a basket toss turned back injury and I’ve been dealing with it ever since.”
A basket toss is when three team members throw another cheerleader high into the air before catching her. Joanna didn’t specify what exactly caused the injury, but the stunt can be quite dangerous if not performed correctly.
“I’m truly grateful for the forced rest during the busiest time of the year,” Joanna shared after her 2022 surgery. “It has been a gift to simply stay put, stare at the wonder all around, and just be still.”
How is Joanna Gaines’ health now?
Joanna announced in January 2025 that she is feeling stronger than ever. In a social media post, Joanna shared that she and Chip had started working with a personal trainer a few months earlier.
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“When he asked me to do push-ups on our first day I said, ‘I can’t. My back,'” Joanna shared. “A few months in I’ve never felt stronger. Today I did FIFTY push-ups! So I’m celebrating and putting this out there… I’ve let time, age, injury, and busyness be my excuse of why not to workout. I’m finally over the ‘it’s too hard’ hump and I’m ready to go!”
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