Former pro-volleyball player Gabrielle Reece talks about her toughest battle off the court

Gabrielle Reece has conquered a number of challenges throughout her career as a pro-volleyball player, sports announcer and fashion model. But after years of professional sports, Reece faced one of her toughest challenges, when her doctor told her she had the knee of an 80-year-old.

Reece decided to get a full knee replacement, but chose to forgo traditional pain relief methods.

“You know its going to be uncomfortable, but really, I was more concerned about the stories I had heard about people – athletes I knew – that had athletic injuries and had a surgery due to that and ended up getting addicted to opioids,” Reece told California Life.

Experts say elective surgeries, like knee replacements, are often a gateway to becoming addicted to opioids.

But new drugs and procedures can help keep patients pain-free without the use of addictive drugs. To learn more, be sure to watch our interview with Reece below. You can also visit PlanAgainstPain.com.