Coleman appears to be rapidly on the mend after past problems.
There’s no doubt Ronnie Coleman is one among the best bodybuilders in history. With eight consecutive Mr. Olympia victories to his name within the late twentieth century and early 2000s (1998-2005), Coleman is tied for the most-ever titles with fellow legend Lee Haney. Retirement hasn’t all the time been kind to the 58-year-old Coleman, nonetheless. Since he formally stepped away from skilled bodybuilding in 2007, the icon has undergone over a dozen surgeries on his neck and back. While Coleman’s been on the mend of late, there was a time when he couldn’t walk without assistance from crutches. He appears to be crediting a singular, still-developing treatment for some recent progress.
On Jan. 16, 2023, Coleman shared a video on his YouTube channel where he discusses facets of his recent health improvements in an interview with former bodybuilder and current media personality Giles Thomas. The conversation sees Coleman note that he’s been leaning on stem cell treatment/injections, which has apparently given him a cleaner bill of health.
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Coleman didn’t mention specifically what type of stem cells injections he received, but they could be much like the Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) reigning four-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead disclosed he was utilizing in 2022. In response to NPJ Regenerative Medicine, MSCs “have broad anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory properties … [which] interact with their immediate surroundings and neighboring cells to offer cell-based responses that will be therapeutic.” (1)
With reference to the potential advantages of stem cell treatments, it’s also vital to notice research into their effectiveness is ongoing. While encouraging, stem cell procedures need further illumination to find out whether their advantages are valid. (2)
Coleman maintained that stem cell treatments help him manage the chronic pain in his neck and back. These initial injuries apparently occurred during his college football profession with Grambling State University within the Eighties, before he morphed into one among the faces of bodybuilding.
“My injuries in my back got here from me playing football,” Coleman said. “I hurt it [his back] really bad my sophomore yr, then I hurt my neck really bad. I used to be doing quite a lot of chiropractic [treatments] in my sophomore yr of faculty all the way in which until I began bodybuilding [in 1990].”
Today, Coleman said he maintains a comparatively consistent schedule of stem cell injections, traveling across america border to Mexico a couple of times a yr to assist manage his back and neck problems.
“At once I’m attempting to do [stem cell injections] every 4 months, in Mexico,” Coleman said. “I began probably a couple of yr ago and I went like twice every 4 months after which I took off about nine months, and the pain got here back fierce. I went back and it was the last time I went. I used to be in a large amount of pain. Three days later, the pain disappeared. Just that quick.”
Along with his stem cell treatments, Coleman credits using experimental hyperbaric chambers to help in his pain management and recovery, especially in sleeping well at night. In response to Medicina, hyperbaric oxygen therapy “consists of using of pure oxygen at increased pressure (typically, 2–3 atmospheres) resulting in augmented oxygen levels within the blood (Hyperoxemia) and tissue (Hyperoxia),” which might improve the body’s healing processes. The identical medical journal maintains that “further research” is perhaps essential to find out the precise advantages and effects. (3)
Relating to Coleman, hyperbaric chambers seem like working wonders as a complement to his other treatments in the interim.
“We’d also do hyperbaric chamber sessions,” Coleman explained about his coordinated treatment routine. “We were doing two 45-minute sessions a day for, like, five days.”
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Together with his health in an improved place, it looks like Coleman is waiting for higher, less painful retirement years. As a continued necessary influence within the bodybuilding community for stars and young risers alike, this update actually won’t be the last anyone hears from the titan.
References:
- Pittenger, M. F., Discher, D. E., Péault, B. M., Phinney, D. G., Hare, J. M., & Caplan, A. I. (2019). Mesenchymal stem cell perspective: cell biology to clinical progress. NPJ Regenerative medicine, 4, 22. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41536-019-0083-6
- Chen J, Wang H, Lu X, Yang K, Lu C. Safety and efficacy of stem cell therapy: an outline protocol on published meta-analyses and evidence mapping. Ann Transl Med. 2021 Feb;9(3):270. doi: 10.21037/atm-20-6892. PMID: 33708897; PMCID: PMC7940926.
- Ortega, A.M. et al. (2021) A General Overview on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: Applications, Mechanisms, and Translational Opportunities. Medicina. 2021 Sep; 57(9): 864. doi: 10.3390/medicina57090864. PMID: 34577787; PMCID: PMC8465921
Featured image: @ronniecoleman8 on Instagram