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Ankylosing Spondylitis! A Dangerous Disease


What Is Ankylosing Spondylitis?

Ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory disease that can cause a portion of the little bones in your spine (vertebrae) to meld. Moreover, this intertwining makes the spine less adaptable and can bring about a slouched forward pose. If the ribs are influenced; it may cause difficulty in breathing. Ankylosing also causes neck pain and joint pain.

According to research, men are more affected by ankylosing spondylitis than women. Affected individuals begin to experience symptoms in early adulthood. Moreover, inflammation may occur in other parts of your body, most commonly your eyes.

Early Symptoms Of Ankylosing Spondylitis

  • The regions most ordinarily influenced are:

  • The joint between the foundation of your spine and your pelvis

  • The vertebrae in your lower back

  • Where your ligaments and tendons join to bones, principally in your spine, however some of the time along the rear of your heel

  • The ligament between your breastbone and ribs

  • Lastly your hip and shoulder joints

Troubling Moment

A lower dorsalgia (back pain) that pesters you during the day and wakes you up during sleep. Adding on, if you simultaneously develop a red eye then you must consult a doctor.

Causes

Ankylosing spondylitis is more of a genetic disorder than a developmental one. Moving on, it is caused by a specific gene; found in some individuals, and leads to this disease. People with the ‘HLA-B27’ gene are at a greater risk of developing this disease.

Fatal Complications

Perhaps the most common complication is eye inflammation. In which the individual experiences blurred vision and sensitivity to light. Moving on, we see another dangerous complication; compression fractures; experienced by some patients. In which the bones of their spinal cord start to become thin. Meaning that the structure of their spinal cord weakens. Adding on, thin bones of the spine start to disintegrate therefore causing the patient to develop a more hunched posture. Moreover, spinal bone fractures damage the spinal cord as well as the spinal nerves. Last but not least is heart complications. Ankylosing spondylitis may affect your aorta. The largest blood-distributing artery in the human body; your aorta may become inflamed, due to this disease ultimately disrupting its function.

Detailed Diagnosis For Ankylosing Spondylitis

To see if you really have ankylosing spondylitis your doctor will conduct a physical exam. Where you will be asked; to bend in different directions. Various parts of your body will be pressed; to produce the same pain mainly in the back and pelvis. Adding on your doctor will also ask you to take deep breaths; in order to see if you have any difficulty in breathing. 


Furthermore, to confirm if you have the disease, imaging tests such as; X-rays and MRI will be carried out. X-rays will allow the doctor to see changes in your joints and tissues. Adding on an MRI will work to provide more explicit and detailed images; diagnosing ankylosing spondylitis in its early stages.

Do’s And Don’ts

Try maintaining a healthy lifestyle by staying active. Adding on exercise can help maintain flexibility and relieve pain, therefore, improving your condition. Furthermore by applying heat through heat bags; stiffness in joints and tissues can be reduced. Adding inflammation in affected areas; can be reduced by applying ice. Lastly, smoking should be strictly avoided; as it hinders the process of breathing. To sum it up, a straight linear posture can solve many problems.


This is another condition that causes lower back pain. Symptoms include hip pain and stiff back. As we all know; the spinal bone is divided; into segments. These segments make up the whole spinal bone. Called Vertebrae. If the symptoms persist for a long time then these vertebrae may fuse with each other causing extreme pain. Adding on ankylosing spondylosis causes some conditions to develop. One of them is the ‘Bamboo spine ’. 


Bamboo is a straight long wooden stick. Adding on ankylosing spondylosis, causes your spine to look like a stick. The segments that make your spine up basically fuse collectively. Alas if this condition worsens the last resort is ankylosing spondylosis surgery.

Effective treatment for ankylosing spondylosis

Water Therapy

Light-range motion in warm water can help relax your muscles to a great extent. Moreover, warm water can ease your pain and provide external support to your muscles.

Non- Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

NSAIDs are a type of painkiller that can reduce inflammation, and swelling in your joints and also alleviate your pain. Examples include diclofenac and etoricoxib. NSAID is used to treat; Ankylosing spondylitis.

Anti-Tnf Medicine

Anti-tumor necrosis factor; is used as a last measure. Moving on, if the symptoms do not improve with traditional treatments and exercise. Anti- TNF, is injected into the blood; and it works by reducing inflammation. Inflamed body cells naturally produce TNF

Surgery For Ankylosing Spondylitis

Most people with this disease may not require surgery. However, it may be done to reduce the pain in the affected joint; or improve the movement of the spinal cord. Adding on, corrective surgery is done; to fix a bent spine.

The effects of ankylosing spondylosis can be lessened; by county dosing. Enbrel is another medicine; used to treat this disease. Other forms of arthritis such as; rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis are treated by Enbrel. Ankylosing spondylosis is similar to the following diseases. Playing out a solitary yoga pose every so often most likely will not do a lot to soothe back pain. Nevertheless, consistency is essential. Yoga can bring comfort to back stiffness.


Plantar fasciitis; is another major disease. Sometimes people with plantar fasciitis may experience back pain. Plantar Fasciitis is a medical condition where an individual experiences extreme pain in the heel or arch of their foot. Moreover, leading the individual to walk in an improper way. Which causes strain on your back consequently leading to back pain. 


Excessive running, walking, or frequent jumping causes plantar fasciitis. This condition can last for a long time. So the best way is to avoid strenuous activity and seek bed rest. Furthermore, you should avoid walking on your heels and try walking on your toes.


Dr. Rao K. Ali M.D.

Dr. Rao Ali, a board-certified pain management physician, leads the clinic, which specializes in nonsurgical treatment. The physician has experience in the emergency room as well as training in pain management and rehabilitation. As a personal physician, he works with each patient to develop a treatment plan that will minimize or eliminate their pain. Providing expert diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of conditions, Pain Management In Dallas, PA provides a comprehensive range of services. These services include neck pain, back pain, hip and knee pain, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, complex regional pain syndrome, headaches, migraines, and many others.