In a gym, people sometimes find new friends, a future spouse, or perhaps exactly the doctor they need. That’s what happened in late 2018 to Aaron Smith, a personal trainer, whose work and home life were increasingly hampered by searing pain in his left elbow.
One of his clients at a D.C. - area fitness center was Ryan Jander, MD, a physician who shared his enthusiasm for staying in shape. The two hit it off immediately, making easy small talk as they went through their routines.
Aaron learned that his client was a physician, and then, more specifically, an orthopedic surgeon at MedStar Southern Marylan d Hospital Center. “When I heard that,” he says, “I tailored his program to keep hi m from being sore the next day. Most folks don’t have to be so precise!
They made a good team. “He was teaching me about the body,” Aaron says, “and I was teaching him about movement.”
When Dr. Jander mentioned that he specializes in upper extremities — han ds, elbows and shoulders — his trainer extended his elbow and said, “Well, this one’s giving me hell.”
Dr. Jander immediately examined the joint, feeling bone growth where it didn’t belong. “I told him, ‘At the risk of being sel f - serving, I think I can help you.’” It was a serendipitous moment.
Soon, x - rays and an MRI confirmed the initial diagnosis. Aaron’s elbow had a bone spur, an overgrowth that had worsened for years. When Dr. Jander recommended surgery, the trainer - turned - patient jumped at the chance.
Aaron, now 39 and living in McLean, Va., has long been a fitness enthusiast. “As a teenager, I got addicted to working out,” he says. He earned a degree in exercise science, and began a career at U.S. Fitness, parent company of Sport & Health Clubs.
He had seen doctors years earlier about his worsening elbow, which was making his job more difficult and his home life unpleasant. “ If I bumped into a wall,” Aaron says, “my fingers would get numb.” Their recommendations had discouraged him: Treatments that woul d immobilize him for months, with no assurance the spur wouldn’t return. He decided to soldier on in pain — until he met Dr. Jander.
The surgery, though straightforward, was not without inherent risks. "Specifically, the triceps tendon lies immediately belo w the bone spur and the ulnar nerve lies immediately next to the bone spur. Both need to be carefully protected during the surgery," say s Dr. Jander.
Aaron didn’t hesitate to undergo the outpatient surgery, performed under general anesthesia. Dr. Jander ca refully removed the spur, with no tendon damage.
As soon as he awoke, Aaron was delighted, and raring to return to the gym. “Ryan told me to rest the elbow for six weeks,” he says. “I gave it a week. I figured that was a good compromise.”
Now, two years la ter, Aaron says, “the pain is virtually non - existent. I couldn’t be happier.”
The two men keep in touch, and their friendship remains a two - way street. “I’m eternally grateful to Aaron,” Dr. Jander says. “He taught me a lot about personal fitness and wel lness — lessons that I still use to this day.”
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"Specifically, the triceps tendon lies immediately below the bone spur and the ulnar nerve lies immediately next to the bone spur. Both need to be carefully protected during the surgery."
- Ryan Jander, MD