DO YOU WANT TO ELIMINATE ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS SYMPTOMS?
Ankylosing Spondylitis is a type of arthritis that mainly affects the bones of the back and hips. In the back, both the discs (the spacers between the vertebrae (the backbones themselves)) and these same back bones become inflamed and arthritic. Ankylosing Spondylitis comes from the Greek words “ankylos,” meaning joint stiffening, and “spondylos,” meaning vertebra (back bone). This is a chronic inflammatory disorder with Ankylosing Spondylitis Symptoms occuring most often in young adults between the ages of 15 and 35. Low back pain or pain radiating from the low back into the buttock, or hip and upper leg is common.
In the beginning of Ankylosing Spondylitis back and hip pain will usually come and go. Periods of pain may be followed by weeks or months of no pain. The most suggestive symptom of the many Ankylosing Spondylitis Symptoms, is stiffness and aching pain on both sides of the sacrum(the big bone at the bottom of the spine). Low back pain and stiffness in the morning is also common. The pain usually lessons during the activities of the day and gets worse again at the end of the day. Resting during the day usually makes the pain worse. Many patients are woken by pain while sleeping and need to move around in order to loosen up a bit before being able to go back to sleep. The pain and stiffness of Ankylosing Spondylitis is usually felt in the lower back area. Some people feel it first in the neck, mid-back, hips or shoulders. Over a year or two, the pain and stiffness becomes worse and spreads slowly to include most of the entire spine. Muscle spasms of the back can become so intense that the entire spine (back-bone) is pulled forward causing a “Stooped-Over-Posture.” Difficulty with breathing can occur if the joints between the back bones and ribs become involved. This is why early diagnosis and proper therapy is critical. Because Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), (Marie Strumpell's disease) is one of a number of chronic inflammatory diseases, it can be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed-- delaying needed treatment. Visit Best Treatment for Ankylosing Spondylitis.
Key Points to Keep In Mind about Ankylosing Spondylitis• Remember the relatively young age of onset is between fifteen to thirty-five years, with the average being about twenty-six.• Males are much more prone than females. • Symptoms usually start in the lower back or sacral area. Over time the symptoms move up into the mid-back and neck. • Ankylosing spondylitis symptoms are seen most in the spine, sacrum, pelvis, sternum, and shoulders. • Most lab studies are not helpful for diagnosis. • Erythrocyte sedimentation (ESR) rate is high sometimes but not always. • HLA-B27 the histocompatibility antigen is found in close to 90% of people with A.S. • X-ray findings are the most helpful diagnostic test and are usually first seen in the sacral region bilaterally. • Over time, x –rays will show degenerative changes in many areas in the spine. • Hips, shoulders, and heels can also be involved. • The first x-ray sign of A.S. in the back is a change in the back bones that looks like "squaring" of the front of the vertebral bodies. • Loss of physical motion is seen first in the lower back, then throughout the entire back. • Chest expansion during breathing becomes limited. • Posture changes include a rounded back forcing the patient to lean forward. • Loss of lower back motion is often found by doctors performing The Modified Schober test. • Almost a third of people with A.S. have inflammation and pain in a peripheral joint - usually the hips, knees, heels, shoulders or wrists. Even with all the early degenerative changes seen in patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis, they can usually lead a normal and productive life. The severity of ankylosing spondylitis symptoms varies in different people. Some will only have off and on periods of stiffness and pain, while others can have severe pain in many parts of their body. The exact cause of Ankylosing Spondylitis is not known. As yet there is no cure for A.S., or Marie Strumpell's disease. Many treatments are available that are very helpful in maintaining your function and managing your pain. To Your Best Health, Dr. Cliff
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