Retired Navy SEAL Makes a Comeback After Surgery

20 years of service. Hundreds of missions. Heavy gear hauled through desert terrain, countless parachute jumps and even a helicopter crash or two. When you’re a Navy SEAL, the body keeps the score.

“It was hell on my spine,” says Michael “Boots” Barker, retired U.S. Navy SEAL—and patient of the Valley View Spine Center.

Mike grew up on a small ranch on the Colorado Front Range, where long days spent hunting, fishing and riding dirt bikes shaped both his love for the outdoors and a strong work ethic. He never took the easy path, a characteristic he credits to his father.

By age 21, Mike had married his high-school sweetheart and joined the Navy. Not long after, he entered Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training—widely considered one of the most demanding military programs in the world, with roughly one in five candidates completing the course.

After many years as an East Coast Navy SEAL, he completed rigorous training and went on to serve in one of the military’s most elite special operations units. Mike cherishes his military career for fundamentally shaping who he is, physically and mentally. But he’s clear about the toll it took.

“Over the years, my body took a serious beating,” he says.

Following retirement from the SEALs, Mike didn’t slow down. He kept lifting, boxing, skydiving—pushing his body as hard as ever. Gradually, though, wear and tear began to catch up with him. He recalls a hard landing while teaching a Navy parachuting course that left his hands numb for several days. The feeling never fully returned.

Hoping to avoid surgery, Mike tried physical therapy and received spinal injections to reduce inflammation and provide relief. While the treatments helped for several years, the problems eventually returned—worse than ever.

Pain and numbness began to disrupt his daily life. At times, he struggled to read his own handwriting as nerve damage affected the strength and sensation in his arms and hands.

Then one day at the gym, Mike’s arms simply stopped working.

“I couldn’t lift a 20-pound dumbbell over my head,” he recalls. “That’s when I knew something was really wrong.”

After extensive research and consultations with multiple providers, Mike was referred to Dr. Felipe Ituarte, orthopedic spine surgeon at Valley View. He was immediately drawn to Dr. Ituarte’s shared sense of discipline and camaraderie as a fellow Navy veteran.

“I knew he was the man for the job,” Mike says. “He did his time. He worked his way up in his career. The dude was a class act.”

As fearless as SEALs are trained to be, the idea of spine surgery still worried Mike. Dr. Ituarte and Physician Assistant Eric Strauch, PA-C, took the time to walk him through every step, answering questions, addressing concerns and making sure he felt confident moving forward with the procedure.

Mike underwent a two-level total cervical disc replacement surgery—an advanced neck surgery that replaces two damaged discs to relieve pressure on the spinal nerves while preserving natural movement.

When he woke up after the surgery, the change was immediate.

“I felt great instantly,” he says. “I could immediately feel my hands and arms. I didn’t realize how bad it had gotten until everything came back.”

Today, Mike is back in action—running, training and feeling strong and capable once again. Though he’s continuing his recovery and has some lingering lower-back issues to address, he knows he’s in the right hands moving forward.

“I can’t say enough good things about Dr. Ituarte and his team,” he says. “They were true professionals.”

To learn more or schedule an appointment, visit Valley View Spine Center or call 970.384.8060.