PEERtrainer Health

This is a question that someone in the PEERtrainer community asked in response to our PEERtrainer Fitness Fusion article. We got an excellent response from our friends at the Egoscue Center, who help people get out of as much physical pain as possible.

Question: "Can someone with ankylosing spondylitis become pain free? As the joints fuse I'm wondering if Pete's method works?"

PEERtrainer Note: This is a spinal form of arthritis- and there are tons of other people with various autoimmune disorders who are in physical pain. Hopefully this advice will help anyone with an autoimmune disease. We also recommend a clean diet that is also high in micronutrients to help deal with autoimmune disease. Dr. Fuhrman's eating plan has had particular success in this area.

Answer From Pete's team: AK is a serious diagnosis. (OK, I said it...) Now let's move onto something a little more enlightening and positive. A dentist of mine said to me one time that I should only floss the teeth that I want to keep. I have adopted that saying for this discussion and I want you to think about your joints, muscles, ligaments...and other internal structures the same way that we would think about our teeth. Only move the ones that you want to keep.

Yes, AK sucks! Yes, the pain is persistent! Yes, you could gradually get worse to the point of joint and overall body deformity.

No, you don't have to let any of this happen. As you decrease your movement and your stress and emotional negativity about the symptoms increases, your immune system begins to spiral downward. Every system is tied directly to your immunity and especially your lymph system and digestive system.

Just by you being on PEERtrainer and taking the time to ask this question means that you have NOT given into this progressive, dismal diagnosis. Don't let the fear take over and get moving! I am not telling you to ignore what your very helpful MD's have told you... I am just saying that the fear tied to this can be squashed when in addition to your normal meds, you are given a dose of hope as your next medication, via the exercises, your prognosis is completely different that it was yesterday.

Get the Pain Free book, try the e-cises and if you have to decrease your reps and sets, do it.