INCREDIBLY PAINFUL, says Ellen DeGeneres, I had no idea that was a symptom

Ellen DeGeneres has always been known for her humor, honesty, and the ease with which she turns life’s awkward moments into laughter. But when she opened up about her experience with COVID-19, the story she told wasn’t funny—it was raw, unexpected, and, as she put it, “incredibly painful.” What caught her off guard most wasn’t the fever, fatigue, or loss of taste that dominated headlines—it was something far less discussed: excruciating back pain.

In December 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Ellen announced that she had contracted COVID despite taking every precaution possible. She quarantined, followed medical advice, and expected to feel miserable for a while, just like everyone else who’d gone through it. But what she didn’t expect was that her back would feel like it was being “pulled apart from the inside.”

“What they don’t tell you,” she later explained, “is that you’ll have severe back pain. I had no idea that was a symptom until I talked to a few other people who went through the same thing.”

At first, she thought it might be something else—a pulled muscle, maybe stress. But the pain only grew worse, radiating across her shoulders and lower spine, leaving her barely able to sleep. For someone used to dancing down the aisles of her studio audience and keeping the energy high, the immobility was shocking

Ellen’s revelation resonated deeply because it shed light on something rarely discussed: the less obvious and often misunderstood side effects of COVID-19. Her openness made people who had suffered similar symptoms feel seen and validated. Many took to social media to share that they, too, had experienced severe muscle or back pain while battling the virus, yet had dismissed it as unrelated.

Doctors were quick to explain what Ellen and so many others were feeling. According to medical experts, musculoskeletal pain—including intense back pain—can stem from the body’s inflammatory response to the virus. COVID doesn’t only attack the respiratory system; it can trigger widespread inflammation, including in muscles, joints, and nerves. In some cases, the immune system’s overreaction can create what feels like a deep, unrelenting ache, lasting for weeks even after other symptoms fade.

For Ellen, the pain wasn’t just physical—it was emotional too. She was forced to slow down for the first time in years, isolated from her team, her fans, and her routine. Known for her relentless work ethic and upbeat spirit, she described those days as some of the hardest of her career. “You think you’ll just ride it out,” she said, “but the exhaustion hits you in ways you can’t explain. You feel helpless