Ankylosing Spondylitis: Timeline to Pain Free
My journey to pain free targeting gut health alone to manage ankylosing spondylitis
Pre-Diet Condition
How things stood pain and symptom-wise prior to targeting gut health to manage ankylosing spondylitis
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 needed to manage pain levels
🔻 Daily use of heat pad, freeze gels and TENS machine
🔻 2 – 4 hours walking each day 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