What is Ankylosing Spondylitis
By: Paul FryattTotal Views: 95, Word Count: 536,
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is one of the several forms of chronic inflammatory and degenerative arthritis affecting the spine. Ankylosing spondylitis, particularly affects the joints between the vertebrae of the spine and the joints between the spine and the pelvis (sacroiliac joints). It might also affect other joints of the body. The joints are originally inflamed and this might be followed by progressive firmness and inflexibility. It ultimately leads to fusion of the spine, giving permanent painful stiffness of the back.
It’s often known as bamboo spine, as the spine tends to get stiff like a bamboo. This condition is more frequent in males as compared to females and usually occurs in people between 16 to 40 years of age. What is ankylosing spondylitis is answered in detail as follows:
Ankylosing spondylitis can briefly be summarized as under:
· Ankylosing spondylitis belongs to a set of arthritis conditions which tend to cause chronic inflammation of the spine as well as deterioration.
· It’s a cause of back pain in young adults and teenagers
· Propensity to develop AS is inherited
· The HLA-B27 gene could be detected in the blood of majority of patients with AS.
· It could also affect eyes, lungs, heart and occasionally the kidneys
· Its best possible treatment involves medications which reduce inflammation or hold back immunity, exercise and physical therapy.
· Homeopathy offers heartening results, noteworthy disease control and relief from pain.
Site of Disease
The sacroiliac joints are situated in the lower back where the sacrum (the bone directly above the tailbone) meets the iliac bones (bones on either side of the upper buttocks). There are symptoms like pain and stiffness of spine due to chronic inflammation in these areas. This condition being chronic, with time it leads to union of the vertebrae, i.e. total cementing together of the vertebrae.
This process is known as ankylosis and due to this condition there is loss of mobility in the spine. The stiffness could ultimately be very severe, making the spine look like a bamboo. Thus, it’s also known as bamboo spine. Ankylosing spondylitis could affect other tissues right through the body. It could cause inflammation or injury to other joints away from the spine, as well as other organs such as heart, eyes, lungs and kidneys.
Diagnosis
What is anakylosing spondylitis could be appropriately answered by proper diagnosis of the disease. Clinical assessment, detailed case history and physical examination supported by laboratory investigations would help conclude the diagnosis of AS. The examination could display signs of inflammation and decreased range of motion of joints. This could be particularly obvious in the spine. Flexibility of the low back or neck could be decreased. There might be tenderness of the sacroiliac joints of the upper buttocks. The growth of the chest with full breathing could be limited due to the firmness of the chest wall. Severely affected individuals could have a curved posture. Urine analysis is frequently done to look for accompanying abnormalities of the kidney as well.
What is anokylosing spondylitis could be very well known by the fact that it has affected as many as 2.4 million people in the U.S in the past several years.
About the Author
Paul Fryatt, M.D. has been in this profession from last 24 years. He made great achievements in his profession. He made an initiative to open a Family Allergy Clinic in 1985 to help his patients who were not reacting to traditional allergy treatment programs. Moreover he has explored the treatment to overcome allergy symptoms to reclaim quality of life through his convenient, no-shots therapy.
Advice Rating: Not yet rated
Login to vote