Positive side effect of Atkins?

[Neecy]

Or just plain dumb luck...I'm not sure, but I've been dealing with arthritis pain in my baby fingers for a while now, its gone. Not just "less" but totally GONE! I wonder if the high carbs inflamed the joints somehow.

[ssMarilyn]

Re: Positive side effect of Atkins?

I have ankylosing spondylitis, which is a form of arthritis in my spine. The AS gene feeds on starch, so I imagine regular arthritis would have the same problem? When I eat starch, I have pain in different places, but when I eat basically just protein, I have no pain.

[DLS]

Re: Positive side effect of Atkins?

I have degenerative disc disease (arthritis) in my lower back and neck. The last time it acted up really bad I actually popped the lower disc out of place where it meets the tailbone! OUCH! Could sit without crying.
I sure hope this Atkins helps me to take off the weight and take the pressure off my back and slows down the disease.
I hate getting old!


Donna
200/191/160
start date 8-27-08
10,000+ steps a day
64+ ounces of water a day

[JimboK]

Re: Positive side effect of Atkins?

I have degenerative disc disease (arthritis) in my lower back and neck.

Same here, in the lower back anyway. Hasn't been bad at all for the last couple of years. But I'm hopeful the shrinking of the gut will help it by reducing the workload.

I hadn't thought about whether the reduced carb load might impact the disease process directly, so I'm interested whether others have experienced Neecy's observation.

[ssMarilyn]

Re: Positive side effect of Atkins?

Unfortunately, degenerative disc disease is something we all get with the aging process, but some notice it sooner than others and for sure being overweight is going to aggravate it. Our bodies will THANK us for taking off the excess weight and relieving the strain!

[DLS]

Re: Positive side effect of Atkins?

Unfortunately, degenerative disc disease is something we all get with the aging process, but some notice it sooner than others and for sure being overweight is going to aggravate it. Our bodies will THANK us for taking off the excess weight and relieving the strain!

I think that is so true! My brother in law has it too. now he is very fit. And sometimes it just hurts like a dog and he is down and out for a while with it. But I have notice before I started Atkins that if I skipped a few days of exercising it hurt much worse. Now I don't skip days at all. I want to do all I can to make this Atkins plan work for me. And if less back pain is involved then that's just icing (we can't have) on the cake (we can't have)! LOL


Donna
200/191/160
start date 8-27-08
10,000+ steps a day
64+ ounces of water a day

[Colleen13]

Re: Positive side effect of Atkins?

I was thinking about posting about this similar experience the other day. I have facet joint syndrome mainly in my lower back and hips. I am actually scheduled for my first round of injections on Monday! I have been suffering for years and I am only 34. Today is my 23rd day on extended induction and I have lost 12lbs. and have noticed that I don't have the same extreme stiffnes that I experienced before my start on 8/21/08.

Is it just a coincidence or is the low car lifestyle helping my back problems? I don't know but I am curious. I still have have least another 30 lbs. I'd like to lose. I don't think it is necessarily about losing 12 lbs because I have been much thinner before and ate a lot of carbs and had tons of back pain.

I haven't even had to take any pain meds since I've started induction!!!!!!


f 5'7"

215/203/170

[Razzle39]

Re: Positive side effect of Atkins?

I remember some where in the book a paragraph about how this lifechange will not only alleviate arthritis pain but could completely dimish it.

Anyone else remember that?

[biogeek]

Re: Positive side effect of Atkins?

Or just plain dumb luck...I'm not sure, but I've been dealing with arthritis pain in my baby fingers for a while now, its gone. Not just "less" but totally GONE! I wonder if the high carbs inflamed the joints somehow.

Refined & starchy carbohydrates causes a rapid rise in blood-glucose levels, which in turn, causes inflammation. Westerners also tend to eat too much refined foods with has high amounts of Omega 6 in it, which also causes inflammation (not to be confused with Omega 3!!). I can go into much greater detail about the biochemistry of it if you like and also give you journal article citations for you to peruse. I hate giving TOO much information when it's not needed.

Anywho...my DH and I have experienced similar reactions when reducing our carbs with our arthritis and my asthma and psoriasis has also been helped. When we've cheated, not only does our pain come back, but my psoriasis flares up in a major way!

If you don't know what psoriasis is....well, you can google some images, and they're not that pretty. Unfortunately, one of the places I get it is on my face, so believe me, I want it controlled as much as possible!

Razzle, I'm not sure where that is in the book. I'll try to look for it. It's there, I just don't remember which section.

[Razzle39]

Re: Positive side effect of Atkins?

Razzle, I'm not sure where that is in the book. I'll try to look for it. It's there, I just don't remember which section.

Thanks, I just wanted to make sure I didnt dream it or make it up ...LOL
I know I saw it in the book because I have arthritis in my hands and I was hoping this menu plan would ease the pain. I have no arthritis pain at this point. I hope it stays that way!

[FLdoodette]

Re: Positive side effect of Atkins?

Refined carbs triggering the inflammation response sounds right to me ... my hands, feet and knees used to ache 24/7; much improved already. Not too much I can do with the back, courtesy of the degenerated discs ... my chiropractor keeps me fairly limber and I'm hoping as I tone my abdominals, there will be less lower back pain. Today, it really aches :P

[sandradeee]

Re: Positive side effect of Atkins?

This is an interesting thread.

I also have arthritis in my fingers and knee's, mostly on one side. When I did Atkins previously this improved. immensley and I'm sure this time will be no different. The knee's could be from less weight bearing, but fingers are not weight bearing so I doubt the weight loss had anything to do with it.

Funnily enough, they say gout is made worse by too much protein and seafood. Yet most people say there is a substantial improvement with the diet.

***Interesting, as isn't gout from the arthritis family?

[ssMarilyn]

Re: Positive side effect of Atkins?

I have AnkylosingSpondylitis, it's a progressive disease of the spine. The spinal cord fuses together so that eventually you can't bend your back and if it goes into your neck as well, which it quite often does, you can't turn your head. Ever see an old man out walking, stooped forward and when he turns his head, he turns his whole upper body? That's AS. The AS gene feeds on starch, so arthritis is probably the same since they're quite similar in many ways. I stop all starch and my back pain goes away. I start up eating starch and the pain comes back.

[Sunny_0ne]

Re: Positive side effect of Atkins?

My hips and knees hurt so badly before Atkins that I couldn't go without glucosamine chondroitin. If I went off it, the pain was excruciating sometimes.

I haven't taken the glucosamine since I started Atkins (due to concerns about carbs in the additives), and now I get only the mildest twinges of hip pain occasionally.

So yes, I would say that helping osteoarthritis is a definite benefit of Atkins!

[ssMarilyn]

Re: Positive side effect of Atkins?

I have to apologize for repeating myself in this thread. I get email notices when someone responds to this thread, but all I get in the email is the latest response, so I guess I forgot I had responded some time ago...and I did it again! Lawdy!