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<\/p>\nBodybuilding legend Ronnie Coleman has given his fans a health update as he opened up about the gruelling treatments he's been undergoing to help with his "intense pain". <\/p>\n
Dubbed "The King", Ronnie is widely regarded as possibly the greatest bodybuilder in history. His vastly successful career saw him win the prestigious Mr Olympia title a whopping eight times in a row as well as 26 IFBB professional titles. <\/p>\n
At his peak, Ronnie's body and strength "wasn't human", said fellow weightlifting champion Kevin Levrone. "You don't have a chance of looking like him. It's a gift from God. It's a gift of genetics," he said.<\/p>\n
But Ronnie's rigorous training has taken its toll on his body throughout the years. Eventually, the now 59-year-old, who retired in 2007, began suffering from chronic injuries to his hips and lower back that got so bad he's been left barely able to walk. Ronnie's health first took a turn back in 1996 when he dislocated his disc while doing squats. <\/p>\n
READ MORE: <\/b>'Russian Popeye' facing 13 years in jail after explicit stream breaks anti-LGBT laws<\/b><\/p>\n
For more bodybuilding news, click here. <\/b><\/p>\n
He made the mistake of ignoring the injury for nearly a decade while he continued to compete and it wasn't until after his retirement in 2007 that he finally decided to undergo surgery for a herniated disc. But by then the damage had already been done and Ronnie has since forked out millions of dollars for 13 surgeries on his neck, hips and back. <\/p>\n
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He's had both hips replaced as well as nearly every disc in his neck and back operated on. The screws and bolts from the surgeries have severely limited Ronnie's mobility and while he can still stand, he now relies on a wheelchair to get around. <\/p>\n
Earlier this year Ronnie revealed he's been undergoing stem cell treatment for more than two years to keep his pain under control. The former pro travels to Mexico every four months for stem cell injections, which he says have massively helped him.<\/p>\n
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But in a recent post on Instagram, Ronnie revealed the stem cell treatment can cause "intense pain" that leaves him unable to sleep for days. To help with the pain, he told his fans he's also been having sessions in a Hyperbaric chamber.<\/p>\n
Sharing a picture of himself sitting in one of the chambers while wearing a mask, Ronnie wrote: "Another round and another session of the Hyperbaric chamber. <\/p>\n
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"I had my stem cell treatment yesterday and I always have my Hyperbaric chamber treatment afterwards." Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing in pure oxygen while in a pressurized environment. <\/p>\n
Ronnie said the treatment allows him to recover quicker from the pain of the stem cell treatment, explaining: "The Hyperbaric treatment always speeds the healing process of my pain progression. Without the Hyperbaric treatment my pain progression takes four days for the pain to cease. My pain levels are so intense that it prevents me from being able to sleep at night. <\/p>\n
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"With the Hyperbaric treatment the pain progression stops in one day." But while it's clear he still struggles with pain, Ronnie told fans the treatments have helped immensely and he now "feels great". <\/p>\n
He added: "So the Hyperbaric treatment is very beneficial for total elimination of pain and provides for very comfortable sleeping at night. But most important I feel great."<\/p>\n
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Fans quickly took to the comment section to wish him well. "Happy to hear you\u2019re getting relief from these treatments. You\u2019ve been through a lot and navigating this kind of pain is very hard," one person wrote.<\/p>\n
Another said: "We love you Ronnie, keep fighting and winning!" A third added: "Praying that someday you will be pain free." Despite his mobility issues, Ronnie hasn't stopped training and is still seen showing off his rippling muscles as he shares videos of himself lifting heavy weights in the gym. <\/p>\n
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