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Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the joints, especially the sacroiliac and spine, although it can also affect other peripheral joints.
The first symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis consist of pain and sensation of lumbar stiffness, or pain in the buttocks and posterior aspect of the thighs, and at first these pains can simulate a sciatica.
It is much more frequent in men, but the incidence in women is increasing, and affects people of all races equally. Its fundamental importance is given by the functional limitation, and therefore, in the quality of life of the individual who suffers it, also causing high health costs for the medical attention they require. Up to 20% of cases can lead to permanent disability, because it is a cause of chronic low back pain in young adults.
The exact causes of ankylosing spondylitis are unknown, although it seems to be closely related to the antigen HLA-B27, a protein found on the surface of white blood cells. Up to 90% of patients with ankylosing spondylitis have this protein in their blood.
Over the years, the patient with ankylosing spondylitis develops a characteristic posture (called “Forestier’s arrow”) with the lower part of the spine straight, and the upper part accentuated forward. The joints can become rigid and without mobility, that is, they become stagnant in a specific position.
Currently there is no treatment that completely cures ankylosing spondylitis. The objective is to improve the quality of life of the patient using drugs and rehabilitation techniques to reduce inflammation of the joints, prevent the spine from stapling, improve mobility and suppress pain.
The aerobic sport adapted to each individual is recommended and avoid risky sports or whose physical contact can be traumatic. Rest is contraindicated due to the propensity of this disease to produce joint ankylosis. In cases in which the correct diagnosis arrives too late, absolute bed rest can degenerate into an almost irreversible rigidity.
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