Tommy’s Ankylosing Spondylitis Wellness Plan
Time Spent on AS Plan: 703 Days
Data Points Measured: 34 71 94
Pain Free Days (Current Record)
Days Without Ibuprofen
Previous Daily Ibuprofen Intake
Tommy's Top 5 Strategies
These are my own subjective findings based on different things I have tested and taken notes on daily since I started my wellness plan spreadsheet. We are all different and your mileage may vary!
- Starch Free Diet 90%
- Daily Yoga Stretches (15 – 20 minutes) 70%
- Daily Walking (15k Steps+) 60%
- Daily Hot/Cold Exposure 40%
- Daily Magnesium (Malate) 40%
And there’s more…
The above are my current ‘top 5’ wellness plan strategies. I see these are an essential part of my daily routine and the things that, subjectively, have had the most profound effect on my life.
Diet, in my case, includes the following: zero starch, zero refined sugar, zero dairy (with the exception of goat/sheep yoghurt/cheese). I also have a lot of oily fish and avocado. This diet is the single most effective thing I have done in terms of slashing pain.
Walking and yoga have a profound effect on reducing stiffness and increasing mobility and flexibility. I typically do 15 – 20 minutes a day of yoga and try to do over 15k steps a day walking.
Hot and cold exposure this is a very powerful (and easy!) process once you get used to it. I have a hot shower for 1 minute, then switch it to freezing cold for 2 minutes. This gives an immediate anti inflammation burst first thing as well as a huge energy boost.
Magnesium (malate in the day and glycinate before bed) have removed cramps, given an energy boost in the day and better sleep at night.
Other elements I believe have had a profound effect are:
Supportive Chair
If you have to do a lot of desk work this is absolutely essential!
Electroytes
Taken as a powder in water. This can give a huge daily boost in energy and focus
Bone Broth
It gets a bad rap by the science press but many report it helps soothe joints and repair gut issues
Lion's Mane
Taken as a tincture in a hot drink once a day. Many report this helps with focus and energy
Vitamin D, Omega 3, Vitamin D/K2, Chaga Mushroom Tincture
These are all things I take daily because of the literature on them. I haven’t noticed any tangible effect that I can report on from testing. However it may be that their benefit is long term and less ‘immediate’ so I continue to take them
My Daily Routine 'At a Glance'
Diet
0% Starch
0% Cow Dairy
0% Processed Foods
Low Sugar
This is a constant, ongoing journey of discovery. Some of the protocols I follow today I may modify, add to or completely disregard in the future. The key is to keep learning, making notes and seeing what works for you.
Important: We are all influenced by different genes, microbiomes and environments. What works for me may differ for you. I’ve included my journey here for you as a guide so that you can see how others approach this
My Ankylosing Spondylitis Wellness Plan in Detail
These are some of the things I’ve used and am currently using to manage my Ankylosing Spondylitis
Flare Detective: What's Triggering!
Estimated cause of most recent flare: Starch in black pudding, new brand of pork scratchings (supposedly Keto and unprocessed!), Covid, tweak to intermittent fasting regime, possible stress factors
Flare severity: 1 – 2 out of 10 (left SI joint)
Days lasted: 7 days
Upcoming Developments
NEW RELEASE:
AS Wellness Plan Spreadsheet 3.0 (release date: 15/03/23)
Data Points: 94