"Yoga is one of the effective forms of treatment for ankylosing spondylitis"
Good to know. I woke up this morning hardly able to move without horrible sharp pain in my very lower back. Not a surprise since I was up so many times through the night and suffered yesterday as well. Unable to switch into any position to relieve pain and being practically immobilized anyway- I lay awake, occasionally writhing from a sharp, shooting pain until I passed out again. Sleeping next to someone is its own special torture. I lay his hand on my back for the warmth which even if not soothing, was comforting but every time he moved it made me move with the slightest twist or turn causing much discomfort. And also, I wanted to switch sides of the bed to avoid being moved as much when he got up to pee (he's usually against the wall) but this backfired!! A couple times he came back to bed and almost lay right down on top of me forgetting we had rotated!
When I first started having arthritis it was so baffling as I thought it was just my muscles. Isn't laying down and relaxing supposed to help? Fetal position, flat on my back, rolled into a ball and sleeping on my shins and forehead- NOTHING felt good and it all caused so much pain. At the time I was an advil fiend (walmart brand anyway, cheapo) yet this did nothing. As I've come to learn, it's usually worse in the morning and can ease up through out the day and with movement. Knowing this I did do some yoga yesterday however they were modified movements at time and some stretches I right out skipped being extra sensitive of any signs my body gave me.
I also suffer from arthritis in other joints (another kind of arthritis all together) and occasionally have problems with my knees, elbows, wrists, fingers, hips, and shoulders. The worst is when I think that maybe my crafty lifestyle causes the pain in the wrists and fingers but I do try and do stretches that combat carpal tunnel and knowing everything else I do about my body I doubt the pain is from my artsy endeavors.
The internet is so great for research but I do extensive reading because there are varying theories and sometimes conflicting information. I take it all in, contemplate, and take from it when I can. I also read a lot of books about herbs, Ayurveda, nutrition, etc. Not one person can be right, I know this. But I can find what's right For Me. The more I search, the more I find. When you know what's going on, there's an essence of comfort.
In addition to arthritis, I find I will sometimes develop inflammation of the iris of my eye, experience extreme fatigue, form super painful canker sores, and can succumb to malnutrition. The difference between regular canker sores and mine is that instead of going away in a week, they have lasted over a month and instead of one, I sometimes get patches of many. It gets extremely painful to eat, sleep, talk, smile, drink, and just EXIST!
It's nice to know that there's an answer for these things I've experienced and focuses my determination to find relief. Through yoga, meditation, stress relief, awareness, and diet I find I "get sick" less frequently- though in the midst of a "flare up" I have to catch myself when I start getting scared and upset.
I've had more, longer periods of remission since making a determined effort to get a handle on my health and disease and that to me is progress.
As far as drugs are concerned, I don't take my NSAIDs and doctors think I should be on steroids. A lot of health practitioners would maybe say I'm wrong and hurting myself. If I found a doctor that actually listened to me and heard my concerns I would consider what they said but so far I've had a lot of bad appointments and have left in tears feeling so alone and ignored.
NSAIDs come in two categories- Selective and Non Selective. One is more known for causing internal bleeding and that's what I got for the arthritis! Why would I take a drug that makes the disease that causes the arthritis worse? Numbing the pain with these drugs would only surge the CAUSE of it! How much sense does that make??? When I asked about a local support group or a way to find one I was told there were none- must ve been a lie to mask his ignorance.
One form of solace on mornings like this is research. Reading others' testimonials, checking up on new studies and possible causes- it pulls things into perspective and into something I can handle.
All in all, everyone's got something. There are tons worse diseases and situations than Ulcerative Colitis.
With the recent passing of a friend, the stress of traveling so much, and a couple weeks of sparse yoga- I'm sure I know the cause of this discomfort. At least I have my beautiful, new, yoga mat to inspire me to get back into my routine!
