Many people with ankylosing spondylitis have mild episodes of back pain and stiffness that come and go. But others have severe, ongoing pain with loss of flexibility in the spine. In addition, other symptoms may develop depending on which other areas of the body are affected by the disease.
Whether it's through physical therapy or on your own, dedicating time to stretching is key. “We recommend making sure that you maintain your flexibility,” says Dr. Elghawy. “And so doing with physical therapy or flexibility exercises on your own for your low back can provide a lot of relief.”
In severe, advanced cases of ankylosing spondylitis there is a complete fusion of the bones of the spine, turning the spinal column into one long bone, which some people say resembles a bamboo stalk. It is quite rare for complete spinal fusion to occur in patients receiving treatment.
Advanced Ankylosing Spondylitis
If you have more advanced AS, your doctor may tell you that your spine has fused. That happens when new bone grows between some of the small bones that form your spine, joining them together. The more this happens, the less movement you have in your spine.
Early symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis might include back pain and stiffness in the lower back and hips, especially in the morning and after periods of inactivity. Neck pain and fatigue also are common. Over time, symptoms might worsen, improve or stop at irregular intervals.
Ankylosing spondylitis may affect more than the spine. The disease may inflame joints in the pelvis, shoulders, hips and knees, and between the spine and ribs.
It is a rare disease, there is no cure, and you will end up in a wheelchair.
Life expectancy for people with ankylosing spondylitis is the same as that of the general population, except for patients with severe symptoms and complications. Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disease.
"Fatigue from inflammation in ankylosing spondylitis can feel like you have the flu. You can ache all over," says Rochelle Rosian, MD, the director of regional rheumatology at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. “That's because inflammation affects your whole body, not just your joints.”
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic, inflammatory disease of the axial spine that can manifest with various clinical signs and symptoms. Chronic back pain and progressive spinal stiffness are the most common features of the disease.
Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic, inflammatory disorder and a rare form of arthritis. Triggers for ankylosing spondylitis include infections (gastrointestinal infections, urinary tract infections [UTIs], and respiratory infections), heavy physical activity, work stress, emotional stress, and pregnancy.
Ankylosing spondylitis causes chronic pain that can come and go. You might experience periods of flares and stiffness, and other times when you don't feel pain as acutely. The symptoms may ease up or disappear for a period of time, but they ultimately return.
Even if ankylosing spondylitis isn't causing you much physical pain, it still may be affecting your emotional health. On any given day you might feel anger, frustration, or even grief. Or maybe multiple feelings at the same time. “People are a beehive of emotions,” says Kenneth J.
Sleep on your back to ease ankylosing spondylitis symptoms
Many people find relief from their ankylosing spondylitis symptoms by sleeping on their back. I tell my patients that the key to sleeping in this position is to maintain the natural curvature of their spine.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) — such as naproxen sodium (Aleve) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) — are the medicines health care providers most commonly use to treat axial spondyloarthritis and nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis.
Can ankylosing spondylitis be inherited? AS can run in families, and the HLA-B27 gene variant can be inherited from another family member. If you have AS and tests show you carry the HLA-B27 gene variant then there is a 1 in 2 chance that you could pass on the gene variant to any children you have.
In some cases, ankylosing spondylitis can be debilitating and lead to disability, according to the SAA. Over time, the inflammation associated with ankylosing spondylitis can cause the vertebrae of the spine to fuse together. In severe cases, when this happens, the spine can curve and cause a stooped position.
While people with ankylosing spondylitis taking biologic medications might be at an increased risk of infections, there is no evidence at this time that suggests that patients with ankylosing spondylitis are at an increased risk of acquiring COVID-19 or having more severe symptoms if they do get sick.
Don't do movements that cause pain
Carefully consider high-impact exercises, such as running, or jarring and twisting sports, such as tennis, squash, and racquetball. These could increase pain in the spine, hips, and knees.
Spondylosis can lead to spinal stenosis, which is a narrowing of the spinal canal. As a result, the spinal cord and/or spinal nerve roots can become compressed (pinched). For example, the cervical spinal cord can be affected by compression from spondylosis. This is called cervical spondylotic myelopathy.
Ankylosing spondylitis is associated with changes in the gut microbiome and inflammation in the digestive system. People with ankylosing spondylitis are more likely to have digestive symptoms and even inflammation in their gut. They have higher rates of functional bowel disorders and inflammatory bowel diseases.
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of arthritis. It causes pain and stiffness, mainly in your spine. But it can also cause eye inflammation called uveitis. Left untreated, uveitis can harm your vision and, in some cases, lead to blindness.