What Is Ankylosing Spondylitis?
Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that primarily affects the lower back. It can, however, affect other areas of the body. This includes the hips, shoulders, and knees as well as the tendons and ligaments around the bones and joints.
Approximately 350,000 people in the United States have ankylosing spondylitis. The disease affects men more often than women. Symptoms of the disease may start in adolescence and are usually present by age 30. In some people, it can cause significant pain and disability for many years.
Cause of Ankylosing Spondylitis
Arthritis research scientists do not know the exact cause or causes of ankylosing spondylitis. They do think that ankylosing spondylitis is caused by a combination of environmental, genetic, and immune system factors. At this point, however, they aren't sure how these factors tie together.
Research scientists have identified a number of factors that increase a person's chances of developing ankylosing spondylitis. These are known as ankylosing spondylitis risk factors. A risk factor is anything that increases a person's chances of developing a disease. Having risk factors does not guarantee that a person will develop ankylosing spondylitis; it just increases his or her chances for developing it.
Some risk factors for the condition include:
- Having a family history of ankylosing spondylitis
- Being male
- Having certain genetic factors
- Being an adolescent or young adult
- Having certain infections.
Ankylosing spondylitis is a condition that primarily affects the spine. It is a form of chronic inflammatory
arthritis characterized by
back pain and stiffness. These ankylosing spondylitis symptoms typically appear in adolescence or early adulthood. They do vary significantly from one person to another, and not everyone will experience serious symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis or have spinal fusion.
Ankylosing spondylitis can involve other joints as well, including the shoulders, hips, and, less often, joints in the limbs, including the ankle, elbow, knee, heel, or fingers.
Other parts of the body that may also be affected by ankylosing spondylitis include the eyes, heart, lungs, and digestive tract.
In order to diagnose ankylosing spondylitis, the healthcare provider will typically begin by asking a number of questions. He or she will then likely perform a physical exam looking for signs of ankylosing spondylitis. If the healthcare provider suspects ankylosing spondylitis, he or she may recommend certain tests. These tests may include blood tests and x-rays.
Before making a diagnosis, the healthcare provider will make sure you do not have other conditions that share similar symptoms with ankylosing spondylitis. A few of these conditions include:
Treatment for Ankylosing Spondylitis
Although ankylosing spondylitis can have serious effects on a person's life and well-being, current treatment strategies for the condition -- including pain-relief drugs and medications that slow joint damage, a balance between rest and exercise, and patient education and support programs -- allow most people with the disease to lead active and productive lives.
Some ankylosing spondylitis treatment options include:
In recent years, ankylosing spondylitis research has led to a new understanding of the condition and has increased the likelihood that, in time, researchers will find even better ways to treat the disease.
Prognosis
Unfortunately, it is not often possible to predict how ankylosing spondylitis will progress in an individual situation. It is a chronic disease that can come and go (an acute, painful episode associated with this condition is known as a "flare"). Early in the disease, constant pain and stiffness are more common; however, as the disease progresses, periods without pain and stiffness become more common.
People diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis in adolescence tend to have a worse prognosis along with more severe hip involvement. The disease in women tends to progress less often to spinal fusion.
Yet, despite this being a chronic disease, most people with the condition remain gainfully employed. Further, it is uncommon for ankylosing spondylitis to shorten a person's lifespan.
What Are Spondyloarthropathies?
Spondyloarthropathies are a family of joint diseases that can cause inflammation throughout the body, especially in the spine. They are characterized by a positive HLA-B27 and negative rheumatoid factor.
Besides ankylosing spondylitis, this group of conditions includes:
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