Hi
Haven’t posted for a long time but I’m back doing keto and loving it.
Side effect that I’ve noticed is that when I’m in ketosis (shown on urine) I feel so much happier and the lower back pain that has plagued me for years disappears completely. I can get straight up out of bed, no gentle rolling and easing up. If I overdo things a little and slip out of ketosis it comes straight back with a bang.
Just wondered if anyone else has such a dramatic difference?
Chezza x
I fell off the bandwagon there after tearing a calf muscle and 2 days later suffering a reoccurring prolapsed disc. 5 weeks later, the sciatic pain is driving me nuts but I have resolved, at last, to clean up my diet. I hope the drop in inflammation will speed up the recovery. Thanks for sharing.
@Jamesbrawn007, If your case is like mine, something I had years ago, there’s material that was supposed to be in your disc now physically hurting your nerves. With time, your body clears it. With me, it took 2 years to be completely pain free, but if your damage is less, it could be only days, or weeks.
I hope it clears quickly in your case.
Thanks Corals. I have had the issue for years. Formally diagnosed in 2010 as prolapses at L4 and L5. L5 also had a small tear and had lost fluid. However, I got back to almost full strength training (with some restrictions) and rarely suffered any lasting back or sciatic pain. The recent episode is kind of self-inflicted as, while I was very active, I had been neglecting core strengthening and mobility work and I could sense things were brewing. Lesson learned (I hope).
Interestingly, some research suggests the tear of the gastrocnemius muscle is linked to muscle atrophy caused by sciatica. I certainly had warning signs, e.g. calf cramps and muscle twitching.
Oh, yes. I can go up and down the cellar stairs with no trouble, so long as I keep my carb intake low enough. When we moved into this house, I had only just started keto, and my knees would make me stop and rest them before I got even halfway down. Nowadays, I get out of bed with no creakiness, and I can go up and down those stairs quite a few times before even getting a twinge in my knees.
I notice, however, that if I overindulge in the carbs, I may still be in ketosis, but my aches and pains start to come back. It’s a useful reminder not to let my carb addiction get the better of me! 
Same here. Any small amount little carb does that to me. To be energetic stay strict with Carnivore woe
For sure! Arthritic hips and knees… operate like well oiled machines now. Reason enough to never go back.
Good for you!
No one saw the ketogenic diet and pain study I posted?
Sadly, in mice, rats, not humans.
But if you search for “ketogenic diet pain study”, I see there are other links, too.
Yes! I’ve recently developed osteoarthritis in both knees (right knee is worse) and I’ve noticed a remarkable improvement in just a week and a half on keto. A pleasant side benefit. 
(my main objective is blasting this stubborn 15 or so pounds off, and KEEPING it off.
Wow, good for you. My back pain is exactly the same on and off ketosis but my body is stubborn like this and it’s not THAT bad, I am basically healthy. Could be better though. I probably need to do something with my exercise, maybe finding something for aching backs specifically…
@Kate503 Welcome to the forum! Great to hear you’re already enjoying some pain relief so quickly through carb-restriction. If you find yourself sticking with this new way of eating, there’s every reason to expect the best is yet to come.
Keep us posted.
p.s. to the OP… yup, same here. Remarkable improvement in joints, flexibility, strength. It’s all good (and a bit amazing).
He is great, which is why I recommend his book. His book has specifics to certain types of problems, and also extra info such as stretches.
But I have been doing his “big 3” exercises for a while now, and my back problems have basically disappeared. I do these 4 days a week now. I have been doing these exercises for a while, though, possibly years (I forget when I started).
Excellent result 
Yes I think these are the kind of thing that need to be made a part of daily routine not just to fix, but also to maintain going forward.
I’d never heard of Stuart McGill - thanks for the suggestion. Having just checked out some links re: his “Big 3” I realize I’ve been doing these same core back exercises routinely for several years now.
I found them, among others, in the “Core” chapter 5 of “Bodyweight Strength Training Anatomy” by Bret Contreras - which is an excellent resource I’ve relied heavily upon in crafting not just my regular core strength training routine, but also my upper and lower body routines.
I’ve progressed to doing these “core” exercises with 10 lbs ankle weights for extra challenge. As long as you begin slowly and pace yourself, it’s amazing what you can get even an older body (e.g., mine) to accomplish.
Thanks again for the Stuart McGill suggestion. 
