How would you do this?

[Thuringwethyl]

I have a question. I’ve been training for a while now, and my family usually comes to me for fitness advice (their rationale is that they can either spend a lot of time looking stuff up or spend my time making me repeat myself. Not that I’m bitter. Much.). My mom came to me a while back and wanted me to design a lifting routine for her. She doesn’t normally work out that much, so I was happy to help her get moving. Here’s the problem: several years ago my mom fell off a chair and fractured one of her vertebrae. She showed me the x-ray and believe me, it looks like someone took that bone and smooshed it. It’s half its normal height, it bulges around the equator AND there’s a crack running through it lengthwise. Plus, the doctor said not to lift more than 10 lbs (not that she’s followed that advice) and that any more trauma could leave my mom paralyzed. Oh, and she has osteoporosis too.
Needless to say, I decided not to design a workout. My mom is currently doing Shape-esque weight routines and walks for cardio. I feel bad but I’m not an expert; I’m not going to risk paralyzing my mom. My question: is there a way to effectively train someone if they’re not supposed to lift more than 10 lbs (cumulative)? Does anyone else know if there’s a way to safely train someone with this type of injury?

Thanks!

[cmberman1987]

If it offers any type of assurance, I've heard many stories of vertebral-fracture patients coming back to make amazing recoveries. Just the other day, I was flipping through a magazine--I forgot which one--and there was an article about a 19 year old who had a compressional fracture in her LUMBAR region (ouch!) from military basic training; she was immobile for 2 years, but put her all into recovery and came back as a fitness competitor! So, you AND your mom: Don't lose hope!

Is your mom taking antiosteoporotic medications? Has she looked into any surgical procedures? Alot of them, like kyphoplasty are pretty non-invasive nowadays...

But if she's already taken care of everything that could possibly be done, I would suggest explaining the situation to a medical professional and have him/her design a realistic workout program for your mother. But don't let them skimp out on you! Tell the doctors that you'll invest in buying your mom a back brace so she can do any/all the exercises safely and effectively, and, that way, maybe they'll feel more comfortable prescribing intense exercise.

Good luck!

[absolut_blonde]

I'd send her to a good, reputable physiotherapist. They can be SO helpful. They'll tell her what she can do, what she should avoid, how to progress, etc.

[Rumbach]

I'd send her to a good, reputable physiotherapist. They can be SO helpful. They'll tell her what she can do, what she should avoid, how to progress, etc.


True that. She should be getting her advice from a professional who is experienced with those types of injuries.

[Thuringwethyl]

If it offers any type of assurance, I've heard many stories of vertebral-fracture patients coming back to make amazing recoveries. Just the other day, I was flipping through a magazine--I forgot which one--and there was an article about a 19 year old who had a compressional fracture in her LUMBAR region (ouch!) from military basic training; she was immobile for 2 years, but put her all into recovery and came back as a fitness competitor! So, you AND your mom: Don't lose hope!

Is your mom taking antiosteoporotic medications? Has she looked into any surgical procedures? Alot of them, like kyphoplasty are pretty non-invasive nowadays...

But if she's already taken care of everything that could possibly be done, I would suggest explaining the situation to a medical professional and have him/her design a realistic workout program for your mother. But don't let them skimp out on you! Tell the doctors that you'll invest in buying your mom a back brace so she can do any/all the exercises safely and effectively, and, that way, maybe they'll feel more comfortable prescribing intense exercise.

Good luck!

Thank you for your suggestions! My mom isn't going to "wast time" on this until after this school semester is over (she's going for her second degree). Maybe if I drop discreet hints she'll be ready to do something over the summer... :wink: