ADVERTISEMENT

McConnell Update

Early this year we proclaimed that we had a deep team and that seems to have disappeared. Next man up. Hope Caleb returns soon but only when deemed medically fit.
I think loosing two of your starting five is a bit much to handle even for a 'deep' team! Next man up and hope for the best.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Loyal-Son
I (35M) had back spasms last July ( lumbar strain from deadlifting) and felt absolutely miserable the first two weeks after it happened. Could barely move. I don't know Caleb's diagnosis, but I can't see how he plays anytime soon. It's completely debilitating.

Really hope I'm wrong.
 
I (35M) had back spasms last July ( lumbar strain from deadlifting) and felt absolutely miserable the first two weeks after it happened. Could barely move. I don't know Caleb's diagnosis, but I can't see how he plays anytime soon. It's completely debilitating.

Really hope I'm wrong.
Back spasms vary greatly in their intensity, persistence, etc. This can go any where. Once the spasms abate, muscles can take days to recover as well.

Hydration also critical
 
We're gonna need the RAC to be the RAC Thursday to help on defense
The RAC being the RAC is 100% dependent on the team being the team that makes the RAC the RAC.
The energy is created by stops and scores, nothing else.
Atmosphere and energy even with a full house of rabid fans is nill when the team doesn’t perform
 
Last edited:
I hope Caleb gets better quickly. However, has anyone considered that Pike is spreading misinformation to keep Michigan guessing one way or the other in their preparation? Just saying.
Thought crossed my mind too, but probably just wishful thinking
 
Sounds like we should hire Chris Ash as a consultant!
So much for keeping this thread on McConnell! Nice moderation.

I wonder if Caleb at the end of his career will let on how much of a problem he feels his back was during his whole career. I know it’s been lightly reported as a background issue for him but would be curious to hear his thoughts on how much it did or didn’t limit him.
 
So much for keeping this thread on McConnell! Nice moderation.

I wonder if Caleb at the end of his career will let on how much of a problem he feels his back was during his whole career. I know it’s been lightly reported as a background issue for him but would be curious to hear his thoughts on how much it did or didn’t limit him.
I want to say that in one of the pressers, Pike discussed how much that injury really held him back. So I tend to agree with you that that injury is pretty serious and impactful.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Loyal-Son
I hope Caleb gets better quickly. However, has anyone considered that Pike is spreading misinformation to keep Michigan guessing one way or the other in their preparation? Just saying.
Pike generally doesn’t say anything about non-season ending injuries and keeps everyone guessing. If he’s being deceptive, it could be that he definitively knows Caleb is out for at least several games but wants teams thinking he might just play after all. I hope I’m wrong and we see Caleb start against UM with his statement intended to throw Howard off, but that just seems like wishful thinking.
 
I assume he is out but won’t be surprised if he plays. Back spasms (if that’s what it is) are extremely debilitating but also unpredictable.
 
Time to return to normal from back spasms for 22 year old athletes probably cannot be compared to personal experiences by board members.

He'll get near constant treatment like electrical stimulation or whatever they use these days.

Regular guys get sent home with medication and told to stay in bed for a while.with a heat pad on.

Better comparison is probably Jalen Hood Scalfino from Indiana who missed the first RU game and the next two. He was out 12/3/22 and played his next game 12/17/22.
 
Last edited:
Yup.
I can lift logs to build a fire pit for the kids, but throw my back out brushing my hair

I know a guy who threw his back out wiping his ass. And not an old guy

Personally I threw my back out picking up my (then) 2 year old.
 
A shot of Dilaudid will knock out the spasms in about a half an hour. Then the question is do they recur and what kind of pain/inflammation is left.
 
So much for keeping this thread on McConnell! Nice moderation.

I wonder if Caleb at the end of his career will let on how much of a problem he feels his back was during his whole career. I know it’s been lightly reported as a background issue for him but would be curious to hear his thoughts on how much it did or didn’t limit him.
Last thing this board needs is that Spanky guy playing moderator here. He should take his clown act to the football or CE board.
 
Last edited:
Time to return to normal from back spasms for 22 year old athletes probably cannot be compared to personal experiences by board members.

He'll get near constant treatment like electrical stimulation or whatever they use these days.

Regular guys get sent home with medication and told to stay in bed for a while.with a heat pad on.

Better comparison is probably Jalen Hood Scalfino from Indiana who missed the first RU game and the next two. He was out 12/3/22 and played his next game 12/17/22.

Hood-Schifino is a better comparison - not just because of a more comparable age/athleticism between those two vs. between McConnell and your average board member, but also considering strain Div-I college athletics puts on the body.
 
The RAC being the RAC is 100% dependent on the team being the team that makes the RAC the RAC.
The energy is created by stops and scores, nothing else.
Atmosphere and energy even with a full house of rabid fans is nill when the team doesn’t perform
Nothing quiets a crowd more than a long scoring drought by the home team.
 
Hood-Schifino is a better comparison - not just because of a more comparable age/athleticism between those two vs. between McConnell and your average board member, but also considering strain Div-I college athletics puts on the body.
One morning, Caleb will wake up and the pain will be gone. The way back injuries are, could be tomorrow, could be 6 months from now. Just the most frustrating injury a player can have
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mr Magoo
One morning, Caleb will wake up and the pain will be gone. The way back injuries are, could be tomorrow, could be 6 months from now. Just the most frustrating injury a player can have

Maybe. But based on what the root cause is, hopefully they're providing treatment to help him overcome that long term. Not just for his basketball career (and to calm the angst of frustrated message board fans), but for the rest of his life. Dealing with back pain day after day after day is draining on other aspects of your life.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rokodesh
One of the most predictable things about back issues is how common it is for there to be a complete lack of predictability. What can cause a flare-up is often totally unpredictable and how long a flare-up might last can be equally unpredictable.

I've had back problems since HS and I've gone from barely able to walk after picking up socks to throw in the hamper to fully recovered a few hours later. Other times, I've been in pain for months for no discernable reason.

Back spasms can have various different proximate and underlying causes. Spinal issues (disc-related issues) can appear instantly and lead to back spasms for virtually no good reason and then disappear just as instantly at any point from same day to months or years later. (I should clarify that I don't mean the underlying disc issues go away quickly - that would be very unusual, but the pain and symptoms can appear and disappear very quickly.)

So... I think it's safe to say that nobody can predict when Caleb might be feeling well enough to play. Could be today. Could be weeks or months from now. All our personal experiences are worthless in terms of predicting Caleb's recovery.

Let's just hope for the best. Sucks that our two best defenders are out right now. I feel badly for the coaches and players who have been doing so well and demonstrating such great potential this season. Be a great story if they can keep the winning ways going.
 
One of the most predictable things about back issues is how common it is for there to be a complete lack of predictability. What can cause a flare-up is often totally unpredictable and how long a flare-up might last can be equally unpredictable.

I've had back problems since HS and I've gone from barely able to walk after picking up socks to throw in the hamper to fully recovered a few hours later. Other times, I've been in pain for months for no discernable reason.

Back spasms can have various different proximate and underlying causes. Spinal issues (disc-related issues) can appear instantly and lead to back spasms for virtually no good reason and then disappear just as instantly at any point from same day to months or years later. (I should clarify that I don't mean the underlying disc issues go away quickly - that would be very unusual, but the pain and symptoms can appear and disappear very quickly.)

So... I think it's safe to say that nobody can predict when Caleb might be feeling well enough to play. Could be today. Could be weeks or months from now. All our personal experiences are worthless in terms of predicting Caleb's recovery.

Let's just hope for the best. Sucks that our two best defenders are out right now. I feel badly for the coaches and players who have been doing so well and demonstrating such great potential this season. Be a great story if they can keep the winning ways going.
This. Your back can give out and not be able to move for a few hours then be fine a few days later. It could also become a lingering issue. Tough to know unless you're Caleb
 
One of the most predictable things about back issues is how common it is for there to be a complete lack of predictability. What can cause a flare-up is often totally unpredictable and how long a flare-up might last can be equally unpredictable.

I've had back problems since HS and I've gone from barely able to walk after picking up socks to throw in the hamper to fully recovered a few hours later. Other times, I've been in pain for months for no discernable reason.

Back spasms can have various different proximate and underlying causes. Spinal issues (disc-related issues) can appear instantly and lead to back spasms for virtually no good reason and then disappear just as instantly at any point from same day to months or years later. (I should clarify that I don't mean the underlying disc issues go away quickly - that would be very unusual, but the pain and symptoms can appear and disappear very quickly.)

So... I think it's safe to say that nobody can predict when Caleb might be feeling well enough to play. Could be today. Could be weeks or months from now. All our personal experiences are worthless in terms of predicting Caleb's recovery.

Let's just hope for the best. Sucks that our two best defenders are out right now. I feel badly for the coaches and players who have been doing so well and demonstrating such great potential this season. Be a great story if they can keep the winning ways going.
I don't think any of this is comparable to the recovery time for basketball.players that are getting daily treatment. The medical and physical therapy attention college or professional players get cannot be compared to the average Joe who gets a prescription and is sent home with some stretching exercises to do.

I've been following basketball for a long time and I don't recall Any and certainly not Many players out for months with Back Spasms.
 
Last edited:
I always said I'd never go to a chiropractor... Until my back went out. It was one of the few things that gave me relief right after I hurt it. Long-term, it's about strengthening core, posture, and yes hydration is key. Short term, throw the kitchen sink at it. Massage, chiropractor, acupuncture, electro-stim, it should all be on the table. As much as I hate to admit it, Sarno isn't entirely nuts either. A bum back is absolutely a physiological injury, but for many of us, there's more to it.
 
Last edited:
I don't think any of this is comparable to the recovery time for basketball.players that are getting daily treatment. The medical and physical therapy attention college or professional players get cannot be compared to the average Joe who gets a prescription and is sent home.

I've been following basketball for a long time and I don't recall Any and certainly not Many players out for months with Back Spasms.
Again, it depends entirely on the nature of the root cause(s). If it's disc related, then many hours of daily PT can still take quite some time before he's feeling well enough to play without too much pain. If the root cause is inflammation or a muscle tear, those have varying degrees of recovery time even with PT for hours each day.

Back spasms isn't in injury. It's a symptom. And of course college and pro basketball players will have been out of their lineups for weeks or longer due to back injuries that had back spasms as one of the symptoms. Others will have been back playing a day later after experiencing back spasms, especially when the root cause is a misalignment or something easily correctable.

Sure, younger people heal faster than older people, and daily PT is better than 3 or 4 times per week. So while you can assume that those things will help, you still cannot assume it means Caleb will be back in N days/weeks/whatever.

We're all hoping it's quick and it might well turn out to be very quick. But we have no way of knowing.
 
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT