What is ankylosing spondylitis?

Ankylosing spondylitis is a disease that is common among the elderly, but now with the increasing pressure of society, many young people are also prone to this disease. Moreover, these diseases are closely related to our daily living habits. Some patients do not know much about what ankylosing cervical spondylitis is. Let us briefly understand what the disease is!

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a disease characterized by inflammation of the sacroiliac joints and spinal attachment points. Strong association with HLA-B27. Some microorganisms (such as Klebsiella) have common antigens with the susceptible person's own tissues and can induce abnormal immune responses. It is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by fibrosis and ossification of the large joints of the limbs, the annulus fibrosus of the intervertebral disc and its surrounding connective tissue, and ankylosis of the joints.

Ankylosing spondylitis belongs to the category of rheumatic diseases and is a type of seronegative spondyloarthropathy. The cause of this disease is still unclear. It is a chronic disease with the spine as the main site of lesions, involving the sacroiliac joints, causing spinal stiffness and fibrosis, and causing varying degrees of eye, lung, muscle, and bone lesions. It is an autoimmune disease.

The clinical manifestations of ankylosing spondylitis are as follows:

1. Pain and discomfort in the waist and/or spine, groin, buttocks or lower limbs, or asymmetric peripheral oligoarthritis, especially lower limb oligoarthritis, with symptoms lasting ≥ 6 weeks.

2. Obvious night pain or morning stiffness.

3. Relieved after activity.

4. Heel pain or other tendon attachment point diseases.

5. Current symptoms or history of iridocyclitis.

6. Family history of AS or HLA-B27 positive.

7. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can quickly relieve symptoms.

If we develop ankylosing cervical spondylitis, we can also take appropriate treatment measures based on the above symptoms, or we can treat it through physical therapy and surgical treatment. Generally, this type of disease can be treated quickly as long as it is discovered early, and it will not have a big impact.