Gabby Windey has opened up about a painful back injury she says happened while using a vibration plate during her workout routine.
The former The Bachelorette star, 35, described the incident in a Substack essay titled “Broke back, no mountain,” published October 2. She also shared images from the hospital, including an X-ray, on social media.
According to Windey, she was using the motorized exercise platform at an extremely high setting when the incident occurred. She said the injury resulted in a cracked vertebra and left her experiencing persistent sensations of tingling.
What happened to Gabby Windey?
Windey said she regularly used a vibration plate as part of her morning routine. The device rapidly moves the body and is commonly marketed for purposes such as muscle activation and circulation.
However, one workout session took an unexpected turn.
Windey said she increased the machine to level 30, which she described as “supersonic speed.” She believes the intense vibration and pressure contributed to the injury.
She later went to the hospital and shared photographs showing herself in a hospital gown along with an X-ray.
Windey described the injury as a crack in one of her vertebrae rather than simply general back pain.
Gabby Windey says the injury caused persistent tingling.
Following the accident, Windey said she experienced what she called “insatiable” paresthesia.
“Paresthesia” is the medical term for sensations such as tingling, prickling, burning, or the familiar “pins and needles” feeling. Cleveland Clinic notes that it can have many possible causes, including nerve irritation or damage. Persistent or recurring symptoms can require medical evaluation.
For Windey, the sensation became an ongoing part of her experience after the back injury. She described the feeling in characteristically humorous but frustrated terms in her essay.
Her account is personal, and it does not establish that vibration plates generally cause spinal fractures. The circumstances of her individual injury were described by Windey herself.
Windey reflects on beauty standards and wellness.
The reality star also used her essay to think about why she began using the vibration plate in the first place.
Windey connected the experience to broader questions about beauty standards, self-care, and the pressure people can feel to change or improve their bodies.
That reflection gives her story a wider angle beyond the physical injury. What began as part of a wellness routine ultimately made her reconsider some of the motivations behind it.
Gabby Windey jokes about joining the “bad back” community
Despite describing the injury as debilitating, Windey maintained her trademark sense of humor.
She joked that she had now become part of a community of people with “bad backs.” Her essay mixes painful experiences with dark humor as she adjusts to life after the injury.
The former Bachelorette lead has also continued to be open about personal experiences in her writing and on social media.
What is a vibration plate?
A vibration plate is a motorized platform that produces rapid vibrations while a person stands, sits, or exercises on it.
These machines are used in some fitness and wellness routines. However, Windey’s experience highlights why individual health circumstances and proper use of exercise equipment matter.
People experiencing back pain, numbness, or persistent tingling after exercise should not assume the symptoms are harmless. Cleveland Clinic recommends speaking with a healthcare professional when paresthesia is frequent or persistent, particularly when it occurs alongside symptoms such as weakness or loss of function.
What happened next for Gabby Windey?
Windey shared her story after receiving medical attention for the injury. Her social media post included hospital images and an X-ray, giving followers a glimpse into what she had experienced.
She has not suggested that everyone using a vibration plate will suffer the same injury. Instead, her account details her own experience and the physical symptoms she says followed it.
For now, Windey’s story has sparked renewed attention around her back injury, vibration-based workouts, and the importance of taking unusual or persistent physical symptoms seriously.
The Bachelorette star continues to share her experience.
Gabby Windey became widely known through Bachelor Nation after appearing on The Bachelor before becoming the lead of The Bachelorette. She later competed on Dancing With the Stars and appeared on The Traitors.
Her latest health update is another example of the reality star using her own platform to discuss a difficult personal experience.
While Windey has approached the situation with humor, her account also underscores how quickly a routine workout can become a serious medical concern.
Important: Windey’s account describes her personal experience. It should not be taken as medical advice or as evidence that vibration plates routinely cause vertebral fractures.