ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS
Protect Your Precious Spine with the Leading Ankylosing Spondylitis Treatment in New Jersey
Your spine is literally the backbone of your body and the protection for your spinal cord. Ankylosing Spondylitis (Known as “AS”, sometimes known as Bechterew’s Disease) is part of a family of inflammatory diseases (called Spondyloarthropathies) that involve the spine. Affecting about one percent of the US population, AS is most common among male patients under the age of 40, with a family history of chronic back pain.
If you are part of that one percent, and are looking for Ankylosing Spondylitis treatment, your search ends at Arthritis, Rheumatic & Back Disease Associates (ARBDA). With multiple locations in New Jersey, ARBDA will have a rheumatologist specializing in ankylosing spondylitis to help you explore the best treatment options.
How can you get a definitive diagnosis?
Before Bechterew’s Disease treatment can start, you need an accurate diagnosis. This poses a challenge because AS involves a clinical diagnosis, meaning there is no single symptom, blood test, or X-Ray which will definitively prove you have AS. But rheumatologists specializing in ankylosing spondylitis are specially trained in conducting tests and examining the multiple factors needed to establish a diagnosis, including:
- Medical history
- Family history
- Complete physical examination
- X-Rays, CT Scans, MRI’s, and other imaging tests
- Blood tests (to determine how much inflammation is occurring and to assess the health of potentially affected organs)
What are the treatments for Ankylosing Spondylitis?
Depending on your symptoms, Ankylosing Spondylitis treatment can widely vary. Symptoms of AS generally have an insidious onset and almost always include morning stiffness and moderate to severe back pain. What differentiates this type of back pain from other types (car accident injuries, for example) is that the pain gets better with movement and activity, while resting will exacerbate the symptoms.
Physical therapy is a common component of Bechterew’s Disease treatment, as it improves spinal movement and daily function. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are almost always used in conjunction with physical therapy because many different NSAIDs have proved effective in reducing pain.
Your specific NSAID prescription will be based on what, if anything, has worked for you in the past as well as other risk factors. If NSAIDs or steroids such as prednisone fail to improve symptoms, second line therapies (such as newer biological medicines) have proved effective for Ankylosing Spondylitis treatment.
Prognosis
The prognosis for many patients with AS is highly variable based on their particular disease presentation. The long-term goal in Ankylosing Spondylitis treatment is to help you preserve physical functioning— to minimize downtime from symptoms and maximize your quality of life.