My Journey: 95% Pain Free Following an AS Diet
Then vs Now: How a Gut-Health Diet Transformed My Ankylosing Spondylitis
Symptoms, test results and personal findings after 2 years of targeting gut health
THEN: Before the Diet
This was my condition prior to targeting gut health through diet to manage my ankylosing spondylitis.
Including my core symptoms, pain management and medical diagnosis.
Core AS Symptoms
🔻 Chronic sacroiliac joint flares (near constant)
🔻 Chronic lower/mid back stiffness (like ‘concrete block’ at all times)
🔻 Costochondritis (rib flares)
🔻 Minimal range of motion
🔻 Unable to sit in one position for more than a few minutes without pain
🔻 Severe night cramps
🔻 Unable to lie flat on back on bed
🔻 Use of different chair/bed = almost guaranteed flare
🔻 Wearing a different pair of shoes = almost guaranteed flare
🔻 Unable to perform basic functions (running, tying shoelaces (without sitting), lifting objects)
Pain management
⚙️ Up to 12 ibuprofen a day to manage pain
⚙️ Hydrocortisone (steroid) cream: skin symptoms
⚙️ Daily use of heat pad, freeze gels and TENS machine
⚙️ 2 – 4 hours walking daily to manage sacroiliac joint pain
⚙️ 2 – 3 naps taken each day to manage exhaustion
Related Symptoms
🔻 Xerosis (dry skin, primarily face)
🔻 Blepharitis
🔻 Angular cheilitis
🔻 Rashes / skin irritation
🔻 Brain fog, memory less
🔻 Severely broken sleep (waking every 15 – 20 minutes)
🔻 Exhaustion and narcolepsy like symptoms
Clinical findings
🔻 HLA-B27 Positive
🔻 Blood inflammatory markers: ESR – 30. CRP – 21.6
🔻 Osteitis condensans ilii and Osteitis pubis
🔻 Rounded medullary sclerotic foci within the proximal left femur
🔻 Enostosis
🔻 X-ray 1: Pelvis revealed inflammation as well as an area of denser bone on the left upper leg
🔻 X-ray 2: Inflammation of the left sacroiliac joint
🔻 MRI scan: “shows multiple areas of inflammation and therefore confirms the diagnosis”
Diagnosis: Radiographic ankylosing spondylitis
NOW: After the Diet
How things stand now. I manage my AS exclusively through diet, stress reduction, exercise and stretching (no medication).
See detailed breakdowns: Year 1 on the diet | Year 2 on the diet
Core AS Symptoms
✅ 0% sacroiliac joint pain (remission)
🟢 93% reduction in lower/mid back stiffness
✅ 0% costochondritis rib flares (remission)
✅ Vastly improved range of motion
✅ Can sit in any chair, any position
✅ 0% night cramps (remission)
✅ Able to lie flat on back on bed
✅ Able wear any shoes
✅ Able to run, bend, lift objects
Pain management
⚙️ Ankylosing Spondylitis diet (starch free, sugar free, cow dairy free)
⚙️ Yoga daily: 15 – 20 minutes
⚙️ Exercise: 15k steps a day
⚙️ No medication needed to manage AS
Related Symptoms
🟢 50% reduction in xerosis (dry skin) symptoms
🟢 50% reduction in blepharitis symptoms
✅ 0% rashes / skin irritation (remission)
✅ More energy, more focus (no more napping)
🟢 Improved sleep (waking 1 – 3 times a night)
Clinical findings
🟢 CRP – 10
✅ Cholesterol Total – 4.50 mmol/L
✅ Cholesterol LDL – 2.46 mmol/L
✅ Cholesterol HDL – 1.81 mmol/L
✅ Cholesterol Triglycerides – 0.52 mmol/L
Please Note: I will include more results here as and when I get them.
This is amazing,
Thank you for making this and sharing this. Keep it up!
Thanks James! Much appreciated