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Articles (Total : 38)

Date   Title

• Choosing a OTC Pain Relief 30 Nov 1999 • Giving Up the Diet 30 Nov 1999 • Hypnosis for Stress Management 30 Nov 1999 • General Exercise Guidelines 6 Jan 2004 • What exactly is Dis-ease? 30 Nov 1999 • Colorectal Care 30 Nov 1999 • Principles of Effective Weight Loss 30 Nov 1999 • General Dietry Guidelines 10 Jun 2003 • Iridology for Children 30 Nov 1999 • The Road To A Healthier Weight: Staying Motivated 9 Feb 2004 • Principles of Effective Weight Gain 30 Nov 1999 • The Cholesterol Question 30 Nov 1999 • Extreme Breakup Recovery 30 Nov 1999 • Re-define What Clean Means for You and Your Home 30 Nov 1999 • How to gain a good Self Esteem - The Easy Way 30 Nov 1999 • Dangers of Fluoride in Water 30 Nov 1999 • What is Ankylosing Spondylitis? 30 Nov 1999 • Home Help for Hayfever 30 Nov 1999 • The Medical Risks of Overweight and Obesity 9 Nov 2004 • What is the Glycemic Index? 30 Nov 1999 • Green Bodies 30 Nov 1999 • The Myths and Truths Of Dieting 22 Aug 2003 • The Truth About Low Carb Dieting 30 Nov 1999 • Breathing Works for Asthma 30 Nov 1999 • Workout Without a Gym 30 Nov 1999 • Bovine Growth Hormone 30 Nov 1999 • A Question of Weight 1 Dec 2005 • Managing Cancer the Holistic Way 30 Nov 1999 • What is Yogic Massage? 30 Nov 1999 • Stretching in the Office 30 Nov 1999 • Problems With Green Tea 30 Nov 1999 • What is a Health Club? 30 Nov 1999 • Reiki - The 'Up and Coming' Complementary Therapy 30 Nov 1999 • Feng Shui and Horses 30 Nov 1999 • Ayurveda in Brief 30 Nov 1999 • How to Substitute Fat in Your Everyday Diet 30 Nov 1999 • What is Osteoporosis? 30 Nov 1999 • Fusion Fitness - Warm Up 30 Nov 1999

Ankylosing spondylitis is a painful, progressive, rheumatic disease mainly of the spine. It has an average disease onset of twenty-three years old and a male/female ratio of 3:1. It very often has a humiliating period of misdiagnosis of approximately eight years, because it is not well understood outside of rheumatology. Once the person has been diagnosed, it is absolutely essential that they receive patient education,which is the reason why The National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society was formed, by rheumatologists and patients, twenty-five years ago.

These are the symptoms that lead the doctor to suspect the condition and, therefore, x-ray the sacroiliac joints:

Slow or gradual onset
Early morning stiffness
Persistence of pain for more than three months
Lessening of pain after exercise, worse with rest
Weight-loss, fatigue and feeling feverish

The condition usually starts at the base of the spine in the sacroiliac joints and has a tendency to work upwards. The rim of the vertebra can become inflamed and as a result, a minute amount of bone wear takes place. The period after the inflammatory process has died down is followed by bone repair. Repeated episodes can lead to vertebra being joined together by bony bridging. In the worst cases, this can affect the whole spine, including the neck, producing one continuous bone. The patients also adopt a tendency towards a forward stooping posture, which can become permanent, once the bony bridging is complete.

Anti-inflammatory drugs are used to help reduce this painful process. The patients then must carry out a regular exercise programme, specifically designed to keep the spine mobile and retain a good posture. These exercises should be taught by a referral to physiotherapists after diagnosis.

Other joints of the body can also be affected, most commonly the hips, knees and ankles. Nearly 50% of patients will also experience a serious eye condition, uveitis, which must be diagnosed and treated immediately to prevent permanent eye damage. Other conditions can overlap, such as the bowel conditions, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis as well as the skin complaint psoriasis.

Author: Fergus J Rogers

Director of The National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society.

This society has donated over 100,000 guidebooks for patients in the last twenty years and produces a twice-yearly membership journal. It also has over one hundred branches providing supervised remedial physiotherapy, one evening a week. This means that those who attend can receive this therapy, without taking time off work. The society also answers hundreds of questions each year on all aspects of the condition by telephone, letter, e-mail etc.

Contact the Author:
Tel: 0870 740 8282

Web: http://www.worldwidehealth.com

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