Looking to help a friend with pain problems

[Jr_Geezer]

Coaches,

I originally posted this in the Elderly forum but didn't get much response there and think it might actually be more appropriate here, plus I think it is kind of important (well, to me anyway). My apologies if this is inappropriate and, if so, go ahead and delete. Thanks for your consideration.

My friend, who I've known all my life as we were next-door neighbors as kids, is now 56 (less than a year older than me) and appears to be kind of falling apart. He tells me he has myelin sheath degeneration due to stenosis in C3-C4 and lower. He has problems with his hands going numb and (in his words) 'the "bar-fusions" and degenerative crap going on feels like burning pokers on my spine when I do repetitive motions for ANY length of time, with any weight.'

This is a guy who was a star athlete in high school (catcher on the baseball team) and is retired Air Force (flew KC-135 tankers) and currently on medical leave from his career as a commercial airline pilot (kidney stone issues, I believe). It pains me to read his emails where he says he is like a flare, burning brightly early but now burned out and, worst of all, he says he is not bothered by it. Fifty-six is way too early to be burned out.

Now I know I can do very little about his mental attitude, but I have told him about my lifting progress and how it has made me feel so much stronger (at least until I recently tore an adductor). However, it does seem to me like lifting wouldn't do anything to alleviate the sheath degeneration issue or if any lifting is even possible. My question to the coaches is if any of them one has had any experience with these types of physical problems and if there is anything I can recommend to my friend.

Thanks.

-RJP

[Tom Campitelli]

Haven't trained anyone with problems like these and you are correct that lifting isn't likely to do anything to fix the degeneration in his nerve tissue. However, he still needs to pick stuff up and move around in his daily life, yes? If so, some form of strength training would probably be beneficial. Not sure exactly what it would look like, but not moving is probably not the answer. We'll see if anyone else chimes in.

[Jr_Geezer]

Haven't trained anyone with problems like these and you are correct that lifting isn't likely to do anything to fix the degeneration in his nerve tissue. However, he still needs to pick stuff up and move around in his daily life, yes? If so, some form of strength training would probably be beneficial. Not sure exactly what it would look like, but not moving is probably not the answer. We'll see if anyone else chimes in.

Thanks, Tom, I appreciate you making the forum available for what looks like a long-shot question.

-Rob