HELP Lost Muscle

Gaz_hmmmm

Gaz_hmmmm

Bluelighter
Joined
Nov 27, 2002
Messages
4,086
Location
England, UK
In December I tried to commit suicide and ended up banging my head and laying on my right side for around about 19 hours. During this time I developed hypothermia and pneumonia.

Anyway after 3 days in ICU and 4 days in a nrmal ward I was out and considered sane. The suicide thing was a spure of the moment thing and I do feel fine.

My point ... My right arm is my strongest but when I try and lift my dumbbells I can barely lift the one with my right arm, with my left I'm fine. My dumbbells each weigh 7.5kg/16.5pounds each.

My right shoulder muscle was swollen whilst I was in hospital and for about a week after I came out of hospital. I asked my mam last night and she said it looks as if my left shoulder and top left back muscles looks more muscular/bigger then the right side.

If I use my chin up bar it 'feels' like I'm using my right arm (right side and back muscles?) a little more so then the left.

I saw the doc' 2 weeks ago and he said (When my shoulder was swollen) that I'd lost muscle and when the swelling goes down it could take upto 5 years to recover. Is this true?

I tried push ups the other night, first time since I came out of hospital and could only do 9, my right side really killed.

How can I recover the muscle and which exercises are best?

I've been drinking 1 - 2 whey protein shakes everyday just to help my body.

I also have a Powerball (Well 'Stength Ball' really, I can't believe how good these things are, I really recommend them to all weight trainers and anyone exercising! If you're in the UK go to WHSmith and get a 'Strength Ball' same thing as a Powerball, but alot cheaper!) will this help or does it just work on my arm muscles?

Thanks, in future response to the replies!
Gaz
 
From my point of view, it sounds as though you need profesional physical therapy. Any like-minded doctor would normally prescribe this knowing that you have lost that much function in your arm. If you cant get this, I would recomend taking it slow. I would do exercises which coordinate with your body. For example, I wouldnt be using dumbbells. I would keep doing the pushups and pullups. I would stretch the muscle often as well, look up different ways to so simple pushups, as some can also involve stretching.. Like I said though, you should have another profesional opinion, I am not a doctor.
 
If you were laying on your arm for 19 hours it was probably deprived of oxygen which could have caused muscle death. If thats the case then lifting weights won't do much for you till its healed and regrown naturally.
 
Powerball only works your forearm and does nothing for your shoulder/back/tris/bis.

You probably sut off some circulation to your arm and thats whats caused the problems. I would doubt that it would take 5 years to recover though. In this kind of circumstance you want to be doing daily exercises with light weights. Maybe 2-5kg dumbells (depending on where your strengths at) and doing 30+reps for 5+ sets. All the basic movements shoulder press, chest press, lateral raise, bent over row, etc. If you can find a light kettleball that would actually be more ideal.

Doing the exercises split up throught the day will help. As suggested push and pull ups will help promote equal strength between both sides of your body.

You might find that a rowing machine will also help. Lots of reps (with the machine set at the lowest resistance) will hopefully push lots of blood through the area to speed recovery.
 
The circulation was cut off, I should have mentioned that my blood oxygen level was 50% was they found me and the paramedics did a test.

I also have lost feeling in part of my right thign and part of my right ankle.

The whole loss of muscle and feeling is either been caused by lack of oxygen, cold from the hypothermia and pneumonia and/or pressure from lying in the same position for 18 or 19hours on a cold hard wooden floor, probably all of them! :\

I'll go for the push ups, chin ups and I'll take some screw some weight off my dumbbells to make'em lighter and do and use all them until I can get to the gym at Uni'.

Thx for the advice.

You's seriously think I should have physio? I can use my right arm normally, it's just not as strong cause of the muscle loss on my right shoulder and/or back.
 
phisio would be the best option yes. it would be very easy to injure your shoulder further right now and begin a long process of recurring injuries in your shoulder.
 
ranunky said:
phisio would be the best option yes. it would be very easy to injure your shoulder further right now and begin a long process of recurring injuries in your shoulder.
Click to expand...

Exactly, just for the fact of recurring injuries. They'll know exactly how to rebuild the normal strenth back into your arm. But if you do not have this option, just be cautious towards injuring yourself since it will obviously be easy to do.
 
Great! :|

Thanks for the info' guys! I'll go easy.

Obviously I won't be able to lift for mass now will I? And don't have to eat 170g's of protein too (I weigh 170pounds), do I?
 
I believe that using a tens unit will help you.
A physical therapist can apply this, or you can buy one online.
Stimulation, and blood flow are needed more that serious lifting or at this time.
Oh, and the protein is not needed in large now, do not consume 170gs of protein now.
pretend you have a rotator cuff injury and do that kind of rehab until you feel a difference.
massages if you can afford them are good here also
 
Just take it slow.

How much weight CAN you lift with that arm? If its only a 2lbs dumbbell, so what? Start with that, and work your way up.

Sure it might seem weird lifting so little weight, but just find the amount of weight you CAN lift with that arm and start with that amount of weight, inevitably (barring any super serious muscle deteriotation that wont ever recover) your going to grow it back up to pace with the other arm.

Everyone starts somewhere, your just having to "restart" somewhere that might be lower than where you ever started from in the first place, but lifes a bitch, suck it up and roll with it!
 
Yeh sad to hear but u must have messed up ur right arm some how, give it a month to rehabilitate it slowly n go from there.
 
I suffered from right arm paralysis after I knocked the shit out of the back of my upper right arm (the tricep region.) I couldn't move my fingers.

I saw my neurologist, he did some tests all the while saying that he sees this contantly in alkies and junkies when they fall out with their heads laying on the upper right arm. The radial nerve becomes compressed for too long thus causing paralysis in the lower affected limb.

Then he said it's a minor problem that usually rectifies itself within 4-6 weeks. (Whew! I rely on my hands for my money and my art.) Anyway, the doc sent me to the PT down the hall who gave me exercises and a brace. I highly recommend the PT as I think that it cut my recovery time down by about half.

Within 2-3 weeks I was back at normal from almost total paralysis in the right hand. Duve Mustaine went through this too but his case was much more serious. Still, he recovered in the end. Apparently, he was on an uber-nod, with practically all of his weight pressing down in the radial nerve in his upper right arm.

Good luck with your recovery. Let us know how it's going.
 
"saturday night syndrom". But 19 hours is a bit longer than the standard 5-8 hour passout time. Longer time= more damage.
 
im also with LaSambra but also Physical Therapy is probably needed it might not be a issue of making the mare stronger you might need to teach the muscles how to work or (fire) again i had to after a surgery i had and only a person with a phd can help with that. G
ood luck bro!
 
I met with an accident, and kept my right had in a sling for a month or two. I lost the whole of the muscle mass. I could not lift my hand with the elbow in the top (arm in v-shaped position). Something seriously wrong with the shoulder muscles.
The posterior delts are way more screwed up than the rest. I felt like a bum.
So, i started working out and lifting weights.. Even slightest improvement (that too on the anterior deltoid) motivated me to lift more..
I guess I overdid, and twisted my shoulder today. Pain was excruciating, thought I got it back in the right position. It still hurts, and I dont know when I can resume normal workouts... I doubt that I should even work out properly, until I get healed properly.

accident happened 3 years back. I could not work out until last year, because of the injury. I dont know how long I gotto wait until my shoulder gets back to normal shape. This is seriously hampering my workout schedule :( :(

Pato
 
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