How To Cure Ankylosing Spondylitis – Back Pain — Transcript

Despite what you may have been told, ankylosing spondylitis is curable. I know this may surprise you, and I know you're likely skeptical and even thinking that this is just another treatment that's simply too good to be true. I've been where you are, struggling with back pain and inflammation all over my body, but I came out the other side, and I've been chronic pain-free for many years now. I've also coached hundreds of back pain sufferers beginning in 2016. So what I'm about to share with you is based on real-life experience. Hang with me, and let me show you what I've discovered and how you can cure your AS.

where you are struggling with back pain and inflammation all over my body but I came out the other side and I've been chronic pain-free for many years now I've also coached hundreds of back pain sufferers beginning in 2016 so what I'm

To AS medical definition before we get started, I'm sharing with you that the medical information presented in this video was culled from a good cross-section of online resources, including the Mayo Clinic, the NIH, the Arthritis Foundation, the Cleveland Clinic, Medical News Today, Healthline, and Google AI. So let's begin with the basics: the definition of AS.

information presented in this video was called from a good cross-section of online resources including the Mayo Clinic the NIH the Arthritis Foundation the Cleveland Clinic Medical news today Healthline and and Google AI so let's begin with the basics the definition of

Now, I find it helpful to break down a medical term into its parts first, as this can be quite eye-opening in and of itself. Ankylosing means stiff or rigid. Spondylitis is the medical name for a degenerative condition of the spine that affects the discs or cushions between the vertebrae and the joints connecting them. It occurs due to wear and tear over time, leading to changes in the structure of the spine. So putting the two words together, ankylosing spondylitis basically means a stiff or rigid spine due to degeneration, wear, or tear over time.

degenerative condition of the spine that affects the discs or cushions between the vertebrae and the joints connecting them it occurs due to wear and tear over time leading to changes in the structure of the spine so putting the two words

The AS definition goes on to say that as a result of this condition, the disc in the back may lose height, the joints may become stiff, and bone spurs may form, which can put pressure on nerves and cause pain, stiffness, and other symptoms. Ankylosing spondylitis is also known as axial spondyloarthritis. AS is categorized as an autoimmune inflammatory disease that actually has two types. Number one, when the condition is found on an X-ray, it's called ankylosing spondylitis or axial spondyloarthritis, as I just mentioned. Or number two, when the condition can't be seen on an X-ray but is diagnosed based on symptoms, blood tests, and other imaging tests, it's called non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. That's a mouthful.

become stiff and bone spurs may form which can put pressure on nerves and cause pain stiffness and other symptoms en kosing SP itis is also known as axial spondo arthritis as is categorized as an autoimmune inflammatory disease that

In layman's terms, I've always thought of AS as simply arthritis in the back. So right away, things start getting murky even with just the definition for this disease, don't they? Sometimes you can see AS on an X-ray, and sometimes you can't. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Let's keep going.

on symptoms blood test and other Imaging tests it's called non radiographic axos spondo arthritis that's a mouthful in layman's terms I've always thought of as as simply arthritis in the back so right away things start getting murky even

AS symptoms. Doctors say that the early symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis might include pain and stiffness in the lower back and hips, especially in the morning and after periods of inactivity. Neck pain and fatigue are also common. Over time, symptoms might worsen, improve, or stop at irregular intervals. The areas of the body most commonly affected are the joint between the base of the spine and the pelvis, the vertebrae and the lower back, the places where tendons and ligaments attach to bones, mainly in the spine but sometimes along the back of the heel, the cartilage between the breastbone and the ribs, and the hip and shoulder joints.

spondilitis Might include pain and stiffness in the lower back and hips especially in the morning and after periods of inactivity neck pain and fatigue are also common over time symptoms might worsen improve or stop at IR regular intervals the areas of the

They also tell us that people with certain health conditions such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and psoriasis are more likely to have AS. And to top it all off, inflammation can also occur in other parts of the body, most commonly the eyes. So now, in addition to an iffy diagnosis, you're told there are a wide array of AS symptoms that may affect your spine, your hips, your neck, your shoulders, your breastbone and ribs, your heels, your stomach, your skin, and your eyes. Wow! No wonder fatigue is also a symptom. Just hearing this list is exhausting.

of the heel the cartilage between the breast bone and the ribs the hip and shoulder joints they also tell us that people with certain health conditions such as Crohn's disease all sort of colitis and psoriasis are more likely to

And further, these symptoms may pop up at any time or lessen or stop altogether but maybe come back later. While all of this is already enough to send your stress level skyrocketing, what really upsets AS patients is that they're told that over time, the condition can cause some of the bones in the spine, the vertebrae, to fuse. This fusing makes the spine less flexible and can result in a hunched posture. And if your ribs are affected, it can be difficult to breathe deeply.

hips your neck your shoulders your breast bone and ribs your heels your stomach your skin and your eyes wow no wonder fatigue is also a symptom just hearing this list is exhausting and further these symptoms May pop up at any

Now, I know that this part is really scary. My diagnosis at age 15 was a very similar one: rheumatoid arthritis. I had pain and inflammation that came and went for decades all over my body. And yes, significant prolonged inflammation of your soft tissue can lead to real structural changes. So while it's important to reduce this inflammation, it still doesn't mean that it's being caused by an incurable disease. And in the rest of this video, I'm going to explain why you should consider an alternative cause and solution for AS.

the bones in the spine the vertebrae to fuse this fusing makes the spine less flexible and can result in a hunched posture and if your ribs are affected it can be difficult to breathe deeply now I know that this part is really scary my

AS causes. According to the medical literature, ankylosing spondylitis has no known specific cause, though genetic factors seem to be involved. My research reveals that there are more than 60 mutated genes that might cause AS. One example, and seemingly the most common, is called the human leukocyte antigen B gene, or HLA-B27 for short. And if you've been diagnosed with AS, you've likely heard of it. I have the HLA-B27 gene myself, and I wished I'd known a whole lot more about it when I was given my test results back in the 1990s.

while it's important to reduce this inflammation it still doesn't mean that it's being caused by an incurable disease and in the rest of this video I'm going to explain why you should consider an alternative cause and solution for as2 as causes according to

Doctors will tell you that people who have this gene are at a greatly increased risk of developing AS. However, only some people with the gene actually manifest the condition. It's estimated that 6 to 8% of the US population has the B27 gene. But keep in mind that while this gene has been extensively studied from a clinical perspective, there are currently relatively few large-scale population studies of the prevalence of B27.

loosy antigen B gene or HLA B27 for short and if you've been diagnosed with as you've likely heard of it I have the HLA B27 Gene myself and I wished I'd known a whole lot more about it when I

And it gets even more interesting as we drill down further. While as many as 90% of white Northern Europeans diagnosed with AS carry the HLA-B27 gene, this isn't true of other ethnicities. The starkest contrast is that this gene is almost non-existent in Japan, yet they still have patients presenting with AS-type symptoms. Japanese doctors typically use other markers to help diagnose and monitor autoimmune diseases.

it's estimated that 6 to 8% of the US population has the B27 Gene but keep in mind that while this Gene has been extensively studied from a clinical perspective there are currently relatively few large scale population studies of the prevalence of B27 and it

Now, what troubles me most about this data is that it sounds like they're adjusting the parameters to fit the disease rather than the other way around. Case in point: one of my coaching students of European descent who struggled the most with AS did not have the HLA-B27 marker. And there's more.

non-existent in Japan yet they still have patients presenting with as type symptoms Japanese doctors typically use other markers to help diagnose and monitor autoimmune diseases now what troubles me most about this data is that it sounds like they're adjusting the

How HLA-B27 affects AS and other inflammatory diseases isn't entirely clear. The prevailing theory, and the one supposedly with the most science to back it up, is that the gene changes the makeup of the gut microbiome—the trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that reside in the digestive tract—and this somehow connects to back pain.

other inflammatory diseases isn't entirely clear the prevailing Theory and the one supposedly with the most science to back it up is that the gene changes the makeup of the gut micro the trillions of bacteria viruses and fungi that reside in the digestive tract and

And then, somewhat begrudgingly, there's this last mention as a cause of AS: stress can be a trigger for ankylosing spondylitis flares, plus the condition itself can lead to stress. Here's the thing: if you dig far enough, you'll nearly always find stress as a potential cause for chronic back pain of all kinds, but only after doctors exhaust all other medical and even lifestyle causes, which should give you pause.

dig far enough you'll nearly always find stress as a potential cause for chronic back pain of all kinds but only after doctors exhaust all other medical and even lifestyle causes which should give you pause in fact look at this chart

In fact, look at this chart that shows the most common physical effects that emotional stress has on the human body. There's quite a bit of overlap with AS symptoms, including muscle tension, digestive upset, skin rashes, and fatigue. And here's what should carry the most weight when you visit patient chat threads about AS with actual people diagnosed with this disease: many of them mention stress as their primary trigger, not the last one on the list.

visit patient chat threads about as with actual people diagnosed with this disease many of them mention stress as their primary trigger not the last one on the list as diagnosis no specific test can diagnose enyoing spondilitis friends this is so

AS diagnosis. No specific test can diagnose ankylosing spondylitis. Friends, this is so important that I'm going to say it again: no specific tests can diagnose ankylosing spondylitis. So what typically happens is that your doctor might test you for the HLA-B27 gene if your symptoms, a physical exam, and X-rays or maybe a more detailed MRI suggest that you have the disease. So even the HLA-B27 gene doesn't confirm the diagnosis; it simply adds another piece to the diagnostic puzzle and is a...

MRI suggests that you have the disease so even the HLA B27 Gene doesn't confirm the diagnosis it simply adds another piece to the diagnostic puzzle and is anyone else wondering about the other 59 plus mutated genes that make you

predisposed to getting as symptoms for some unknown reason the researchers just picked B27 and ran with it somehow this doesn't instill a lot of confidence in something that's causing you a lot of pain and suffering does it and there are

other chronic medical conditions that present very similarly to as things like fibromyalgia various types of arthritis chronic fatigue syndrome and even Lyme disease so it's important to consider that as seems to be just a collection of symptoms that could apply to many

conditions most of which can also be stress-based in origin who gets as onset of as generally occurs in late adolescence or early adulthood people younger than 40 are most commonly affected with more than 80% receiving their diagnosis around age 30 historically

experts believe that as affected more males than females however the National Library of Medicine published a study in 2018 that indicates that this might not be true previous studies did not include many females and more recent research shows that the rates are more similar

between genders than scientists originally thought plus it was discovered that females experience more delays in receiving an ASD diagnosis perhaps based on the previous assumption that the condition genetically skews to males and the as medical community also list people who have a close biological

relative with as especially a biological parent as a risk factor and yet per the definition for spondilitis that we reviewed at the beginning of this video spondilitis occurs due to wear and tear over time leading to changes in the

structure of the spine and 80% of people are about 30 when diagnosed which means that some of them are even younger one of my students was just 11 years old when his symptoms appeared how much wear and tear can you have when you barely

lived one decade or even in your first 20 or 30 years of life once again it's not adding up as medical treatment doctors will tell you that there's no cure for anilos spondilitis but that treatments can lessen symptoms improve

quality of life and possibly slow the prog pression of the disease let's review the most common treatments I'm sure most of them will be familiar to you medications anti-inflammatory drugs biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs Jack Inhibitors steroids and even opioids for extreme

flareups physical therapy exercise and stretching strengthening exercises and posture correction lifestyle modifications smoking sess regular exercise and good posture heat and cold therapy surgery in severe cases surgery may be recommended to fuse vertebrae or replace damaged joints and

other treatments a healthy anti-inflammatory diet and emotional well-being managing stress and anxiety that's a very long list of possible treatments that seem just as suspect as the causes and diagnosis of as it can and may have already taken you months or

years and lots of money to get through trying all of them I'd like to point out the very last suggested treatment so far down on the list that it feels like an afterthought emotional well-being hold on to that thought because in just a

minute we're going to turn our attention to what's really going on with this disease this is a lot of information to digest so before we move on to talk about what you can do to heal instead of all this let's recap as primar Al

affects the spine but can also strike many other structural areas of your body your stomach your eyes and even your skin and let's not forget that all this may Circle back to the mysterious HLA B27 Gene and its influence on your gut

bacteria which may be the trigger for your back pain now while gut health can certainly affect your overall health am I the only one who finds it hard to see a direct correlation specifically to pain in your back so can you see that

when you really really dive deep and start dissecting all this information the as cause and effect thread really starts to unravel in a nutshell and as I shared earlier there's no specific test that can definitively diagnose enyoing spondilitis if you take away just one

nugget from this video please think about this because if doctors can't really diagnose as then how much confidence can you have and where your symptoms are really coming from and how to make them go away for good okay take

a breath because now I'm going to take this video in a much more positive direction I believe that as is simply a collection of stress-based symptoms and not a medical condition with a life sentence let's talk more about what's

really causing your pain and what you can do to cure it starting today what is causing the pain that's what you care about right now it turns out that the pain is actually being caused by the last thing on the medical list Stress

and Anxiety here's the science behind how this happens stress triggers the release of hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline which send your body into fight ORF flight mode this increases your blood pressure and heart rate and tightens your muscles to prepare you to

fight or flee from what your mind perceives as a dangerous physical or emotional situation stress hormones also stimulate your immune system to release cycin which are proteins that cause inflammation chronic stress keeps your body in an inflammatory State and

triggers as symptoms so despite the long list of causes and Gene markers and other Diagnostics that you've endured that's basically it folks the soft tissue in your back not the spine itself had become chronically inflamed due to emotional stress and in our modern world

nearly everyone is stressed a lot of the time and as simple as this sounds there's a 99% chance that this is what's causing your back pain and other chronic symptoms why isn't the medical community telling us the truth friends it's time

to face a hard truth and do some simple math while the cost to treat as very widely at a minimum you're likely seeing a rheumatologist every few months at an average office visit cost around $365 on top of that there's regular lab

work and medication maybe some physical therapy all the way to possible surgery so with the average age of diagnosis at just 30 the cost of having as for many decades adds up fast they don't tell us that stress is the likely cause of back

pain because number one our doctors aren't taught in medical school to suggest first not last the more straightforward cause stress with much easier Solutions and number two the chronic pain industry would lose billions of dollars every year by losing

Millions of lifelong patients in the end it's a simple case of following the money so how do you cure as before I share next steps for how to cure as I want to make it clear that I really do

understand some doubts and even fears that you may be having right now because I've had them myself those of us who have been misdiagnosed with a disease like ra or as have some unique challenges to overcome many of them

related to medication since we're told that many of the medications to treat our condition and despite the side effects need to build up in our system and be taken regularly right on time to keep us from debilitating pain and

possibly permanent damage we live in fear of missing a dose or taking a break or God forbid trying to wean off medication entirely I relive this Loop over and over for decades it kept me trapped for a long long time now I'm not

a medical doctor so I can't give you official advice about medication but I can reassure you that if you choose to pursue a mindbody approach to Healing as you can and should proceed slowly including initially continuing with whatever medication you may be taking

right now if what you've heard in this video makes sense to you then please don't let this fear keep you from moving in the right direction so we use a healing formula that looks like this Education Plus reduce stress plus to

increase physicality equals cured in fact my partner John and I have put together a free six-minute Workshop that explains the three-step process for healing back pain including as to get it just click on the link below to be

directed to our website at coub back.com if you can accept that your doctors might be wrong this could be a real game Cher for you and before you go don't forget to like this video And subscribe to our Channel I'm Laura Thornton thanks

for watching