WHAT IS ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS?
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of arthritis that mainly attacks the lower back and the joints connecting your spine to your pelvis (the sacroiliac joints).
In plain terms:
· Inflammation: Your body’s immune system mistakenly causes swelling in the spine’s ligaments and joints. This is different from “wear and tear” arthritis.
· Pain and stiffness: It causes chronic pain and morning stiffness in the lower back and buttocks that gets better with movement and worse with rest.
· Fusion (the “ankylosis” part): Over time, the body tries to heal the inflammation by building new bone. This extra bone can grow between the vertebrae (spinal bones), eventually fusing them together. When fused, the spine becomes rigid and less flexible—like a bamboo pole instead of a chain of movable links.
· Posture effects: Because the spine fuses in a stiff, forward-curved position, some people develop a permanent stoop or hunched back.
Who gets it? It often starts in young adults (ages 17–45), is more common in men, and is strongly linked to a gene called HLA-B27. It tends to run in families.
What else happens? Besides back pain, AS can cause:
· Swollen heels or joints (like knees or hips)
· Eye inflammation (red, painful, blurry vision – a “flare” in the eye)
· Fatigue from ongoing inflammation
Is there a cure? No, but treatments today (medications, physical therapy, exercise) work very well to control symptoms, prevent fusion, and let most people live active lives.
See your Orthopod soon.