nisora33
08-21-2009, 04:07 PM
Rip,
I've got a fellow with a problem that's new to me, but here's a little background on him, first:
He's a 43 year-old male, weighing in at 170 lbs., no prior history of strength training or athletics to speak of. About five years before I met him, he developed a mysterious nervous system disorder that led to some paralysis and episodes during which he would become near catatonic (frequent loss of coordination, but muscles extremely rigid and immovable at other times). Doctors were unable to identify the cause, and during the two years that he was affected, much muscle wasting occurred: he got down to around 120 lbs.
But almost overnight, he started getting better. He put on twenty pounds on his own over the course of a year and half, but his strength and quality of movement remained poor.
When I met him about a year and a half ago, I put him on Starting Strength, and we gradually added thirty pounds to his frame and subsequently lowered his body fat percentage, which for a skinny guy had been really, really high. We got his squat to a 1 RM of 310 lbs., bench 197 lbs., press 135 lbs. and deadlift 325 lbs.
But six months ago, he suffered a car accident and really jammed his left hip. Getting out of bed was hell on him, and getting anywhere near his previous max efforts was out of the question. Finally, he checked in with a hip specialist, and what he discovered was, well, surprising...
The hip that had been causing him pain looked absolutely normal on MRI, BUT his right hip, which has been totally asymptomatic, showed signs of osteo-necrosis: the proximal end of the femur is DEAD due to lack of blood supply. The proximal end is literally at risk of collapsing.
We're awaiting further testing, but right now doctors are talking about drilling a whole up there to insert bone marrow to try and regrow the end of the femur Obviously, I'm skiddish about having him handle max loads, but neither of us wants to abandon squatting entirely during this time. He wanted to try 200 lbs. for five reps the other day, which he completed easily and without pain, but, goddamn, the idea of the end of that femur blowing out gives me shivers.
Any thoughts on what to do about his training in the meantime? Of course, information is still trickling in, and I'll be happy to keep everyone updated on his condition.
Thanks,
Stacey
I've got a fellow with a problem that's new to me, but here's a little background on him, first:
He's a 43 year-old male, weighing in at 170 lbs., no prior history of strength training or athletics to speak of. About five years before I met him, he developed a mysterious nervous system disorder that led to some paralysis and episodes during which he would become near catatonic (frequent loss of coordination, but muscles extremely rigid and immovable at other times). Doctors were unable to identify the cause, and during the two years that he was affected, much muscle wasting occurred: he got down to around 120 lbs.
But almost overnight, he started getting better. He put on twenty pounds on his own over the course of a year and half, but his strength and quality of movement remained poor.
When I met him about a year and a half ago, I put him on Starting Strength, and we gradually added thirty pounds to his frame and subsequently lowered his body fat percentage, which for a skinny guy had been really, really high. We got his squat to a 1 RM of 310 lbs., bench 197 lbs., press 135 lbs. and deadlift 325 lbs.
But six months ago, he suffered a car accident and really jammed his left hip. Getting out of bed was hell on him, and getting anywhere near his previous max efforts was out of the question. Finally, he checked in with a hip specialist, and what he discovered was, well, surprising...
The hip that had been causing him pain looked absolutely normal on MRI, BUT his right hip, which has been totally asymptomatic, showed signs of osteo-necrosis: the proximal end of the femur is DEAD due to lack of blood supply. The proximal end is literally at risk of collapsing.
We're awaiting further testing, but right now doctors are talking about drilling a whole up there to insert bone marrow to try and regrow the end of the femur Obviously, I'm skiddish about having him handle max loads, but neither of us wants to abandon squatting entirely during this time. He wanted to try 200 lbs. for five reps the other day, which he completed easily and without pain, but, goddamn, the idea of the end of that femur blowing out gives me shivers.
Any thoughts on what to do about his training in the meantime? Of course, information is still trickling in, and I'll be happy to keep everyone updated on his condition.
Thanks,
Stacey