Louw's big 'pain in the neck'
Francois Louw says he had been carrying "for years" an underlying neck problem that forced him to have surgery in September.
A pinched nerve caused by a slipped disk resulted in the 34-cap Springbok having an operation on September 22.
The injury has forced the flank to miss the year-end internationals and Louw is still unable to put a firm date on his return for club side Bath, although he says a December "would be fantastic".
While the immediate cause of the injury was a heavy knock he took to the head while playing against New Zealand in Wellington in the Rugby Championship, the 29-year-old said he had been suffering from a nerve issue in his neck for the majority of his career.
Louw, who joined Bath in 2011 from the Stormers, revealed that this had required frequent scans and visits to specialists.
"It's something I've carried for a long time, for a few years," he said.
"It was a bit scary when I was injured in New Zealand. I was getting a bit of nerve pain down my left arm and fingers. You worry at the time. But there's no loss of motion or strength.
"It's a big deal, but not the worst thing that could've happened.
"I've had a disk issue for most of my career, but there's never been any risk. I've regularly had scans and seen specialists. It's when I take a big bang that it can be a problem."
Despite such an injury, Louw remains focused on a return to action as soon as possible.
"It's coming along. It's now seven weeks since the operation, and I'm able to train pretty much flat out except for contact," he said.
"The good thing is that the rest of the body is still fine so I'm able to do all the weights and conditioning.
"I'm not quite sure when I'll be back but I'm aiming for December. That would be fantastic. But I don't want to take any chances with the neck.
"I'm in good hands here at Bath."
By Tom Bradshaw, an award-winning freelance sports writer and broadcaster based in England
* The Springboks, who play Italy on Saturday was greeted by a very different and pleasant welcoming party in the northern Italian city of Padua (Padova in Italian). We bring you this video clip with thanks to regular reader Paolino!
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