By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 6 May:
Dehradun, 6 May:
The Department of Rheumatology, HIMS observed an awareness day on Ankylosing spondylitis, (AS) which is a type of arthritis.
The common joints which are affected in this include – joints of the spine and sacroiliac joints.
The symptoms include back pain and buttock pain.
Back pain is a common problem. But back pain of AS is different from common back pain which helps in differentiating it from common back pain.
AS causes back pain and stiffness. The AS back pain gets worse when a person is at rest and is better when a person is active and moving around. The AS back pain is particularly worse during sleep / night time. It causes difficulty in turning in the bed. In the morning hours patients have difficulty in getting out of bed due to back pain and stiffness.The early morning stiffness lasts at least 30 to 60 minutes.
AS can also cause “alternating buttock pain,” which stems from the lower back into the rear, often striking one side at a time.
In some individuals AS can also affect other joints like knee, ankle, feet causing pain, swelling and restricted movements of the joints.
AS can affect other organ systems apart from joints. Eye involvement can be seen in about 25% (Uveitis) and causing eye redness, pain, watering and dimness of vision.
It was informed on the day that Diagnosis requires tests; X rays and MRI of joints.
Although we tend to associate arthritis with older age, AS affects individuals between the ages of 15 to 45 years. AS hits particularly young — about 80 percent of patients will experience their first symptoms before age 30.
It was pointed out that early diagnosis is important as over a period of time the structures in the spine can have calcium deposition and fuse together or join together. This is called Bamboo spine. This leads to reduced movement of the spine, stiffness of the spine and also bent posture. This can be prevented by early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Effective treatment is available for AS at the Himalayan Hospital. With proper treatment, individuals with AS can lead a normal and productive life.
The common joints which are affected in this include – joints of the spine and sacroiliac joints.
The symptoms include back pain and buttock pain.
Back pain is a common problem. But back pain of AS is different from common back pain which helps in differentiating it from common back pain.
AS causes back pain and stiffness. The AS back pain gets worse when a person is at rest and is better when a person is active and moving around. The AS back pain is particularly worse during sleep / night time. It causes difficulty in turning in the bed. In the morning hours patients have difficulty in getting out of bed due to back pain and stiffness.The early morning stiffness lasts at least 30 to 60 minutes.
AS can also cause “alternating buttock pain,” which stems from the lower back into the rear, often striking one side at a time.
In some individuals AS can also affect other joints like knee, ankle, feet causing pain, swelling and restricted movements of the joints.
AS can affect other organ systems apart from joints. Eye involvement can be seen in about 25% (Uveitis) and causing eye redness, pain, watering and dimness of vision.
It was informed on the day that Diagnosis requires tests; X rays and MRI of joints.
Although we tend to associate arthritis with older age, AS affects individuals between the ages of 15 to 45 years. AS hits particularly young — about 80 percent of patients will experience their first symptoms before age 30.
It was pointed out that early diagnosis is important as over a period of time the structures in the spine can have calcium deposition and fuse together or join together. This is called Bamboo spine. This leads to reduced movement of the spine, stiffness of the spine and also bent posture. This can be prevented by early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Effective treatment is available for AS at the Himalayan Hospital. With proper treatment, individuals with AS can lead a normal and productive life.
