125,000th ankylosing spondylitis patient in the healing gallery
reason to be cheerful
Since 1952, 125,000 patients with ankylosing spondylitis have found relief in the Gastein Healing Gallery. Behind this number lie personal stories and successes: less pain, greater mobility, a new zest for life. A treasure of nature, confirmed by studies. The anniversary patient reports on her experiences.
125,000 patients with ankylosing spondylitis have come to the Gastein Healing Gallery for treatment to date – that's an impressive number! It not only underscores the fact that the Gastein Healing Gallery is the world's largest therapy center for ankylosing spondylitis, but above all the effectiveness of the treatment. Since 1952, the naturally occurring healing climate in the Gastein Healing Gallery has been used for therapeutic purposes. Its success is based on a combination of mild overheating, high humidity, and radon absorption. In the case of Bechterew's disease, this improves pain, stiffness, and feelings of exhaustion, as well as mobility. The positive effects are not only underlined by the numerous positive experiences of patients, but also supported by a broad base of studies.
However good the study results may be, ultimately it is the success of the individual's treatment that counts. Behind the number 125,000 are individual fates and many people whose lives are made difficult by ankylosing spondylitis. Some have been coming to the Gastein Healing Gallery for decades, while others have undergone a long odyssey of doctor's visits, therapies, and side effects. Being able to offer them a good alternative to conventional therapies with the cure is what makes the Healing Gallery so special.
Petra Grube recently made her way to the healing gallery for the sixth year in a row. What she didn't know was that she had the honor of being the 125,000th Bechterew's disease patient in the healing gallery. She has been suffering from Bechterew's disease for around 40 years. After an odyssey of doctor and hospital visits, she finally found relief in the Gastein Healing Gallery. Since then, she has been coming regularly for treatment and hardly needs any painkillers anymore. She herself says:"The Healing Gallery gave me back my zest for life!"
125,000th patient reports on her experiences with ankylosing spondylitis
My name is Petra Grube and I have been visiting the Gastein Healing Gallery twice a year since 2018. How it came about: I started experiencing deep back pain in my early 20s. This coincided with my pregnancy, so I initially assumed it was pregnancy-related back pain. However, the pain persisted after the pregnancy and always came in waves. My doctor prescribed painkillers and physical therapy. Between the episodes, there were always good phases.
It was 2006 when I first developed iritis and visited an ophthalmologist. She told me that, in her opinion, the eye infection was a secondary condition and that I should definitely undergo further examinations to find the underlying disease. Unfortunately, my family doctor at the time did not see it that way, and three more years passed, during which time I suffered from iritis about four to five more times. Uveitis that could not be treated on an outpatient basis ultimately had to be treated at an eye clinic. There, the inflammation was treated with cortisone and, for the first time, a blood test was performed! So, after 26 years, I received my diagnosis: ankylosing spondylitis.
After being referred to a rheumatologist, I was given TNF-alpha blockers. I injected this medication monthly for eight years. My health insurance covered the enormous costs, but unfortunately not the spa treatments. One day, I woke up in the morning and could no longer feel the left side of my face or hear anything in my left ear. I developed vertigo, which made it almost impossible for me to walk. I saw double and my eyes flickered around without being able to focus on a single point. All of these symptoms appeared within just one week. After visiting the ophthalmologist, who immediately referred me to a neurologist, I was rushed to the emergency room in the neurology department at the hospital. A CT scan revealed no abnormalities, but a lumbar puncture showed that something was not quite right. So I was admitted to the hospital.
After an initial suspicion of bacteria, I was given antibiotics, which proved unsuccessful. I was then given large doses of cortisone, which caused my pancreas to go haywire and my blood sugar levels to deteriorate enormously, so that I had to inject myself with blood sugar medication. I was deeply desperate, I couldn't imagine being able to keep this up forever, so I shut myself off from the outside world and just prayed.
Finally, in 2018, it was concluded that these were side effects of the TNF-alpha blockers, which I had to stop taking immediately, and my health improved only very slowly. I was not approved for the rehabilitation recommended by the doctors after this breakdown!
Now I had to find an alternative treatment for my ankylosing spondylitis, so I spent some time on the internet and, using the search term "ankylosing spondylitis alternative treatment," I found the website of the Gastein Healing Gallery! There were patients there who reported their success, and I called one of them.
In the fall of 2018, I completed my first visits and immediately noticed that something was happening in my body. My reaction is that I feel more pain at the beginning, but this quickly subsides during the course of the visits. To this day, I go to the healing gallery in the spring and fall for 4 and 8 visits respectively, and I very rarely need painkillers! Only during the coronavirus pandemic did I have to skip a treatment, and I immediately felt severe pain again.
Thanks to the healing gallery, I have regained a much better quality of life and, as a result, my zest for life! A big thank you to all the staff and doctors for the reliable, smooth, and always friendly service during each treatment!
