Ankylosing spondylitis is a critical situation in which a person suffers from the stiffened and inflamed spine. In some severe cases people lose the normal shape of their spine. However this disease is not confined spine. It may also occur in other parts of the body like ankles, hips, knees and in fact any other joints. This disease is known by several names and some of them include Bechterew's disease or Marie Strümpell disease. A significant feature of this disease is that unlike other degenerative diseases it gets better as one age. Severe conditions of this disease results in complete rigidity of the spine which is known as the bamboo spine.

Ankylosing Spondylitis Causes

The researchers are not fully sure about the real cause of Ankylosing Spondylitis. However according to some researches this disease in mainly inherited. An individual suffers from an ailment when they inherit a certain type of blood from their parents. The disease can be categorised under the category of the autoimmune spondyloarthropathies and in most cases the disease is commonly found among men.

In some other cases it has been found out that in this disease the ligaments and the tendons which are fixed to the spine swells up. In such situation it results in the growth of the new bones which further replaces the ligaments and the tendons. If it continues it results in the fusion of the bones of the spinal cord.

Ankylosing Spondylitis Symptoms

The main symptom of Ankylosing Spondylitis is the pain in the lower back that spreads up and is felt in the region of buttock and thighs resulting in the stiffness in the lower back. This stiffness and pain are more acute in the early morning or after rest but as the day progresses the pain lessens with the physical activities.

As the spine loses its normal shape in this disease there always remains a chance of getting bend in the forward direction. Walking in this posture becomes very difficult and painful for the individual. There are other symptoms of this ailment including weight loss, low fever and fatigue.

People who are in between the age of 15 to 30 are often seen to suffer from acute pain and stiffness in their lower back. This is the first symptoms one can experience when he is suffering from disease. Ankylosing Spondylitis may sometimes be accompanied by Iridocyclitis, which causes pain in the eyes and photophobia which increases the sensitivity to light.

Other common symptoms of this disease are tiredness and mouth ulcer which is known as Aphae. However the position of pain may vary from one side to another side.

The early symptoms of this disease are known as typical prodromes that may appear as early as three years of age. In this the children often experience pain in the joints of elbows and knees. If diagnosed at an earlier stage the victims of this disease have a much greater chance of recovery. However unfortunately these symptoms are not diagnosed as the fall out of this disease and in most cases the child victims are treated for rheumatism until the disease manifests itself at a later stage.

Treatment for Ankylosing Spondylitis

There are no preventive measures for Ankylosing Spondylitis and neither there are any proper and permanent cures if one suffers from this ailment. But once people suffer from this type of disease they can avoid further problems by maintaining healthy weight, and by consuming diets which are rich in vitamin D, protein and calcium.

Physiotherapy helps an individual to a great extent to get relief from the pain of this disease. It includes the exercises related to the back and breathing. These exercises keep the joints and the spines strong. Regular exercises can improve the body posture, prevent the deformities of the spine and keep the symptoms under control.

There are some medicines like Paracetamol and anti inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen that helps in keeping away the pain and inflammation. In some severe cases surgery is also needed. However in most of the cases it is seen that the severity of this disease gets reduced and even disappears as people grow old.

Advices

People suffering from this kind of disease can resort to physiotherapy to get relief from this pain as the movement helps in great deal with this problem. Sometimes medicines also prove to be very helpful. People should also avoid any contact sport that can cause harm to the joints.