Thanks everyone, my bodybuilding days are coming to a close.

[boardn10]

You know, I always thought I would be the guy to live to be 100 in good shape, I would be the guy to compete in a masters class competition at 75, I thought I'd do this till I died.

Lyme disease, Bartonella, Babesiosis and now Ankylosing Spondilitis took that all away from me. I have horrible spine swelling and horrible pain through my spine and upper back.

 

Looks like my AS is getting worse and so goes the lifting, out the window.

 

I wanted to let you guys know it has been fun and informative. You all are some of the best people around. Really good, caring people on this forum.

 

I will check in from time to time but for now I need to work on my health and try to fight back.

 

Peace,

 

Rich

Edited December 15, 2010 by boardn10

[katz]

Hang in there, Rich. Never give up, never surrender.

[Vegan Joe]

Hang in there, Rich. Never give up, never surrender.

+1

[Im Your Man]

+1

 

And do yoga regularly it may help for Ankylosing Spondilitis, once you find the best asanas for you do only these. And receive Thai massage or any good massage often.

[Richard]

Hey real sorry to hear this, never know what to say in this kind of situation, just hope your health improves

[boardn10]

Yes, I want to investigate yoga. One friend claims Bikram Yoga can cure all physical symptoms, but he also hurt his back doing this! Not sure what to think. I do believe the heated room of Bikram really helps so maybe I can find a more gentle yoga that also uses a hot room.

[lobsteriffic]

Best of luck with everything!

[MartinVegartin]

I'm sorry that you are having such troubles. From what I've read about you I'd say you are a fighter. So keep fighting and stay hopeful.

 

Some information below about treatments, including dietary. Keep a note of what you eat and see if anything makes symptoms worse.

 

Good luck!

 

 

This is only about one patient but is very interesting. The full study is available.

 

Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Associtation. 2005 Jun;49(2):81-91.

 

Symptomatic improvement in function and disease activity in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis utilizing a course of chiropractic therapy: a prospective case study.

 

Rutherford SM, Nicolson CF, Crowther ER.

 

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is limited outcome measure support for chiropractic manipulative therapy in the management of ankylosing spondylitis. An improvement in specific indices for both function and disease activity during chiropractic therapy for ankylosing spondylitis has not previously been reported.

 

OBJECTIVE: To measure changes in function and disease activity in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis during a course of chiropractic therapy. The clinical management of ankylosing spondylitis, including chiropractic manipulative therapy and the implications of this case study are discussed.

 

CLINICAL FEATURES: A 34-year-old male with a 10 year diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis sought chiropractic treatment for spinal pain and stiffness. His advanced radiographic signs included an increased atlantodental interspace and cervical vertebral ankylosis.

 

INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), finger-tip-to-floor distance and chest expansion were assessed during an 18 week course of chiropractic spinal manipulation and mobilization therapy. There was a 90% improvement in the disease activity index and an 85% improvement in the functional index from the pre-treatment baseline, as measured by the BASDAI and BASFI respectively. Spinal flexibility and chest expansion also improved.

 

CONCLUSION: To the authors knowledge this is the first study to incorporate ankylosing spondylitis specific indices, for both disease activity and function, to objectively support the use of chiropractic manipulative therapy in the management of ankylosing spondylitis. More intensive research is suggested.

 

PMID: 17549197

 

Excerpts from the full study:

 

Exercise is traditionally recommended to preserve flexibility, mobility and the upright posture.25 One study concluded that regular exercise over a 5-year period prevented the decline in spinal mobility.25 Moderate and regular exercise may be beneficial for both functional status and disease activity, but it may be the consistency and not the quantity of the exercise that is most important.14

 

Although, dietary modifications were not attempted in this case, there are reports of patients who use diet to alleviate rheumatic symptoms.30 In two specific case studies a vegan diet,31 and a low starch diet32 provided improvement in AS symptoms. As no dietary modifications were attempted in our study, diet was considered an unlikely confounding factor.

 

An improvement in the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index in a patient with long standing AS was a clinically favorable and noteworthy outcome. Specifically, these indices provide unprecedented support for the effectiveness of chiropractic manipulative therapy in the treatment of AS in this case. Validated instruments for function and disease activity improve the assessment of new therapeutic treatment options in AS, which may ultimately improve the treatment efficacy and patient outcomes in the clinical management of AS. More intensive research utilizing these instruments on patients with AS undergoing chiropractic therapy is suggested.

 

===========

 

This is the study referred to by note 31, above.

 

Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd. 2001 Aug;8(4):228-31.

 

[Clinical remission of an HLA B27-positive sacroiliitis on vegan diet].

 

[Article in German]

 

Huber R, Herdrich A, Rostock M, Vogel T.

 

Ambulanz für Naturheilverfahren und Umweltmedizin, Abteilung Innere Medizin II, Universitätsklinik

 

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Positive effects of fasting and vegan diet in patients with rheumatic diseases are reported in the literature. MEDICAL HISTORY: We present a 33-year-old patient with double-sided HLA B27-positive sacroiliitis, which was diagnosed by magnetic resonance tomography. Since about 10 years he therefore had pain in the iliosacral region. Numerous sessions of physiotherapy, a cure treatment, and treatment with sulfasalazine and doxycycline were not effective. The patient was dependent on the daily intake of the nonsteroidal antirheumatics meloxicam 2 x 7.5 mg and ibuprofen 400-800 mg and the analgetic tramadol 50-150 mg, but evening and night pain and morning stiffness persisted under this treatment.

 

TREATMENT: We recommended a temporary vegan diet, i.e. to completely avoid animal fats and proteins. COURSE: 3-4 days after changing on vegan diet the complaints improved distinctly and persistently. After consumption of meat 6 weeks later, complaints worsened. Consequent vegan diet again resulted in significant improvement of the pain and morning stiffness. At follow-up 3 months after the initial contact, tramadol and ibuprofen intakes had been stopped, meloxicam had been reduced to 1 x 7.5 mg. The patient was almost completely free of complaints.

 

CONCLUSIONS: It was demonstrated that in a single case of sacroiliitis which was refractory to other treatment, vegan diet resulted in a convincingly improvement of complaints.

 

PMID: 11574747

=========

And note 32

 

Clinical Rheumatology. 1996 Jan;15 Suppl 1:62-66.

 

The use of a low starch diet in the treatment of patients suffering from ankylosing spondylitis.

 

Ebringer A, Wilson C.

 

Division of Life Sciences, King's College, London.

 

Abstract

The majority of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients not only possess HLA-B27, but during active phases of the disease have elevated levels of total serum IgA, suggesting that a microbe from the bowel flora is acting across the gut mucosa. Biochemical studies have revealed that Klebsiella bacteria, not only possess 2 molecules carrying sequences resembling HLA-B27 but increased quantities of such microbes are found in fecal samples obtained from AS patients and such patients have Crohn's like lesions in the ileo-caecal regions of the gut. Furthermore AS patients from 10 different countries have been found to have elevated levels of specific antibodies against Klebsiella bacteria. It has been suggested that these Klebsiella microbes, found in the bowel flora, might be the trigger factors in this disease and therefore reduction in the size of the bowel flora could be of benefit in the treatment of AS patients. Microbes from the bowel flora depend on dietary starch for their growth and therefore a reduction in starch intake might be beneficial in AS patients. A "low starch diet" involving a reduced intake of "bread, potatoes, cakes and pasta" has been devised and tested in healthy control subjects and AS patients. The "low starch diet" leads to a reduction of total serum IgA in both healthy controls as well as patients, and furthermore to a decrease in inflammation and symptoms in the AS patients. The role of a "low starch diet" in the management of AS requires further evaluation.

 

PMID: 8835506

=============

 

Another chiropractic treatment study. But again only in one person:

 

Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2003 Oct;26(:E1-9.

 

The effect of chiropractic care for a 30-year-old male with advanced ankylosing spondylitis: a time series case report.

 

Rose KA, Kim WS.

 

Southern California University of Health Sciences, Whittier 90604, USA.

 

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Manipulative treatment for ankylosing spondylitis is a controversial subject, and no literature on using this therapy for advanced cases with fusion of the spine could be found.

 

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the case presentation of a patient with advanced ankylosing spondylitis who was treated with chiropractic manipulation and mobilization. Clinical features The patient was a 30-year-old Asian male who was first diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis at age 12. Despite medical intervention, a series of exacerbations had fused his sacroiliac joints and the facet joints in his lumbar and cervical spine. He presented with local moderate-to-severe pain in his low back and neck and lack of mobility. Intervention and outcome The patient was treated with grade 5 manipulation of his thoracic spine and grade 3 mobilization of his lumbar and cervical spine, along with physical therapy and stretches for a period of 12 weeks. He reported some improvement of his condition as measured by the SF-36 Health Survey and several measures of spinal flexibility.

 

CONCLUSIONS: This case shows that even advanced cases of ankylosing spondylitis may show a favorable response to chiropractic manipulative therapy.

 

PMID: 14569222

 

============

And each abstract on the pubmed pages has links to other abstracts about similar subjects, which is how I found the one above.

 

In case you don't know, you can find these on the pubmed site by typing in the PMID number into their search box. Just the number, not the PMID bit.

[Im Your Man]

Wow very interesting, MartinVegartin!

 

Yes, I want to investigate yoga. One friend claims Bikram Yoga can cure all physical symptoms, but he also hurt his back doing this! Not sure what to think. I do believe the heated room of Bikram really helps so maybe I can find a more gentle yoga that also uses a hot room.

Moksha yoga is also hot yoga, less hot but faster flow. Bikram you usually hold the postures longer, 30 seconds to 1 minute. All styles of yoga are good and anyway they are all similar to the roots of yoga which is hatha yoga. Some yoga will focus more on the relaxation of the mind though while others are more demanding for the body and can have greater effects on the body and improve flexibility of the joints, etc. Just like the vegan diet, as referred in one of the clinic studies above, can help reduce the inflammatory reaction on the joints caused by meat consumption, that is why Indians are so naturally flexible even before they begin practicing yoga, because they have a long history of vegetarianism or low meat consuption compared to Americans.

Yoga when done correctly is not supposed to cause any problem but of course where there are ailments, pain and physical limitations you must tell the yoga teacher, there are some postures that should be avoided while others are very good for you. But by listening carefully to your body and how it reacts to each posture you should feel if it does good for you or not. But yoga instructor should look at all students and correct the postures because its impossible to do them correctly at the begining.

[MartinVegartin]

Yes, very interesting.

 

I have a book called Green Pharmacy by James A. Duke, the former Chief of the Medicinal Plant Resources Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. I looked in the book this evening to see if he recommended anything. I found out that he has AS. He does recommend some herbs as anti-inflammatories. Ginger and pineapple. Also pigweed (Amaranthus of various species) for its calcium. He mentions vegetarianism. He also talks about what he calls Socorro's Secret. Socorro is a woman who lives in Peru and she has a remedy she takes for her own rheumatism. Duke thinks it 'might be as useful as anything out there for rheumatoid arthritis and possibly AS as well.'

 

I know nothing about this and include it in case of interest. He does recommend getting a good rheumatologist.

 

It is made from dragon's blood, fig latex, ginger, port wine and rum. He says ginger and fig latex contain protein-digesting proteolytic enzymes, which are useful as anti-inflammatories for rheumatoid arthritis and possibly AS. He says the dragon's blood and port wine contain oligomeric procyanidins (OPCs). These are anti-oxidants. He adds pineapple.

 

His modified recipe: 1 tablespoon each of dragon's blood and fig latex to one pint of red wine and one pint of pineapple juice. Stir into it one cup of shredded ginger root. Dragon's blood and fig latex are available on the internet, he says.

 

He says it's not approved by the FDA.

 

He also mentions turmeric.

[robert]

Hugs.

 

All the best to you! Hope you're feeling well again soon.

 

-Robert