Ankylosing Spondylitis Quiz
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What is Ankylosing Spondylitis?
Ankylosing spondylitis is an chronic inflammatory arthritis that affects the joints in your spine. Although the cause is unknown, certain genetic factors are believed to be involved.
Typical Symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Lower back pain that improves with physical activity
- Diagnosed with Crohn's disease in the past
- Family history of Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Stiffness in back or waist for over 30 minutes in the morning
- Lower back pain
- Back pain or discomfort
- Headache
- Lower back pain that persists through the night
Diagnostic Questions for Ankylosing Spondylitis
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:
- Does your lower back pain improve with physical activity?
- Have you been diagnosed with Crohn's disease?
- Do you have a family history of Ankylosing Spondylitis?
- Do you have back or waist stiffness for over 30 minutes in the morning?
- Do you have lower back pain?
Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis
There is no cure for ankylosing spondylitis. However, medications, physical therapy, and exercise may be prescribed to reduce symptoms, control disease progression and prevent disability.
Reviewed By:
Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc (Family Medicine, Primary Care)
Dr. Taylor is a Japanese-African American physician who grew up and was educated in the United States but spent a considerable amount of time in Japan as a college student, working professional and now father of three. After graduating from Brown, he worked in finance first before attending medical school at Penn. He then completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control before going on to specialize in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he was also a chief resident. After a faculty position at Stanford, he moved with his family to Japan where he continues to see families on a military base outside of Tokyo, teach Japanese residents and serve remotely as a medical director for Roots Community Health Center. He also enjoys editing and writing podcast summaries for Hippo Education.
Kaito Nakamura, MD (Rheumatology)
Dr. Nakamura is a rheumatologist who has practiced in the Ota Nishinouchi Hospital attached to Ota General Hospital, National Health Insurance Matsudo City Hospital, Chiba University Hospital, and the National Health Insurance Asahi Central Hospital.
Content updated on Mar 31, 2024
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
- Chronic lower back pain
- Pain in the lower back worsens when standing up
- Pain on one side started first
- Lower back hurts even when sitting still
- Lower back pain aggravated by pressing
- Pain in the lower back with slouching
- Bending over hurts my lower back a lot
- Lower back pain that makes me want to sit down
- Low back pain when standing straight
- Low back pain aggravated by sneezing
See full list
Symptoms Related to Ankylosing Spondylitis
Diseases Related to Ankylosing Spondylitis
FAQs
Q.
Waking up stiff? Why Ankylosing Spondylitis fuses your spine & Medically Approved Steps
A.
Morning back stiffness that improves with movement, especially if it lasts over 3 months, can signal ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory spine disease where early diagnosis helps prevent spinal fusion, posture changes, and chronic pain. There are several factors to consider and key next steps, including proper evaluation with history, exam, and imaging, treatment with NSAIDs or biologics plus daily physical therapy, and knowing urgent red flags like eye pain with light sensitivity, new weakness, or loss of bowel or bladder control; see the complete details below to guide your next healthcare decisions.
References:
* Baraliakos X, van der Heijde D. Morning stiffness in ankylosing spondylitis: mechanisms and treatment approaches. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2021 Jul 1;33(4):390-398. doi: 10.1097/BOR.0000000000000806. PMID: 34001859.
* van der Heijde D, Ramiro S, Landewé R, et al. 2019 Update of the ASAS-EULAR recommendations for the management of axial spondyloarthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2020 Jun;79(6):745-757. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-216113. Epub 2020 Mar 9. PMID: 32152140.
* Sieper J, Poddubnyy D. Ankylosing spondylitis: from diagnosis to treatment. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2022 Dec;18(12):735-751. doi: 10.1038/s41584-022-00858-6. Epub 2022 Oct 26. PMID: 36289297.
* O'Shea FD, Boyle E, Boyle L, FitzGerald O. Nonpharmacological Management of Ankylosing Spondylitis. Rheumatol Ther. 2019 Dec;6(4):463-471. doi: 10.1007/s40744-019-00179-8. Epub 2019 Sep 30. PMID: 31570954.
* Lories RJ, Luyten FP. Structural damage in ankylosing spondylitis: a practical overview. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2021 May 1;33(3):276-281. doi: 10.1097/BOR.0000000000000790. PMID: 33797430.
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Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Golder V, Schachna L. Ankylosing spondylitis: an update. Aust Fam Physician. 2013 Nov;42(11):780-4. PMID: 24217097.
https://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2013/november/ankylosing-spondylitis/Fiorillo MT, Haroon N, Ciccia F, Breban M. Editorial: Ankylosing Spondylitis and Related Immune-Mediated Disorders. Front Immunol. 2019 Jun 4;10:1232. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01232. PMID: 31214188; PMCID: PMC6557991.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2019.01232/fullBond D. Ankylosing spondylitis: diagnosis and management. Nurs Stand. 2013 Dec 18;28(16-18):52-9; quiz 60. doi: 10.7748/ns2013.12.28.16.52.e7807. PMID: 24345154.
https://rcnpublishing.com/doi/abs/10.7748/ns2013.12.28.16.52.e7807Smith JA. Update on ankylosing spondylitis: current concepts in pathogenesis. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2015 Jan;15(1):489. doi: 10.1007/s11882-014-0489-6. PMID: 25447326.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11882-014-0489-6Walker J. Ankylosing spondylitis. Nurs Stand. 2006 Jul 26-Aug 1;20(46):48-52. doi: 10.7748/ns2006.07.20.46.48.c4472. PMID: 16898197.
https://rcnpublishing.com/doi/abs/10.7748/ns2006.07.20.46.48.c4472