It is different from normal back pain. After waking up in the morning, the stiffness of the lower back continues for more than 30 minutes, and the pain disappears only when you move. It is most common in young men between their late teens and early 20s. Starting from the hips and climbing up to the waist, chest, and neck, the spine hardens into whole bones like bamboo. It is called rigidity because the broken spine is deformed hard. Learn about ‘ankylosing spondylitis’, a disease that silently destroys life.
Ankylosing spondylitis is common in young menㅣSource: Getty Image Bank
What is ankylosing spondylitis, which increased by 27.7% in 5 years?
Ankylosing spondylitis is not a problem of simple back pain that gets better with rest, such as a herniated disc. ‘Rigidity’ means that joint changes occur after a long period of inflammation, resulting in slow joint movement. Spondylitis is an inflammation of the spine. In other words, ‘ankylosing spondylitis’ is a chronic inflammatory disease in which inflammation appears in the spine and becomes stiff. In addition to the spine, it can also occur in the hip, knee, and shoulder. Unlike other spinal diseases that occur in the middle-aged and elderly, the awareness of symptoms is very low, and it is often neglected.
However, according to data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of patients is steadily increasing every year. The number of patients who were 40,064 in 2016 increased steadily every year and recorded 51,106 in 2021. This is a 27.7% increase over 5 years. In addition, as of 2020, male patients (34,891) were found to be 2 to 2.5 times more than female patients (13,370).
Park Jin-soo, professor of rheumatology at National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, said, “Men have more severe symptoms than women, and the onset time is about 2 to 3 years earlier, but the reason is unknown. It is believed that it is related to sex hormones as well as genetic factors. “he explained.
The cause of ankylosing spondylitis has not been clearly identified yet, but it seems to be related to genetic factors. In actual patients, the genetic factor ‘HLA-B27’, which is not easily seen in others, appears. However, even if you have it, ankylosing spondylitis does not necessarily occur, and only 1-2% of benign cases develop. In addition to genetic factors, various causes such as environmental factors or increased immune responses affect the occurrence of ankylosing spondylitis.
Young uninvited guests ‘ankylosing spondylitis’, it’s not just the back pain
Ankylosing spondylitis is difficult to prevent, but early diagnosis and treatment can prevent spinal deformity and ankylosis. Symptoms vary from person to person, but the most common is back pain. In the early stages of symptoms, pain begins slowly in the lower back or hip area and is accompanied by a stiff ‘morning stiffness’ when waking up in the morning. It can be mistaken for simple muscle pain, disc, menstrual cramps, etc., so there are cases where the disease develops or the timing of treatment is missed. Back pain is characterized by improvement in motion and stiffness again when the patient is still.
Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect any part of the body. In other words, it’s not just the back pain. According to the Korean Society of Rheumatology, in addition to the spine, joints in one leg may be swollen or painful, and pain may occur in the heel and ribs. Depending on the patient, the leg symptoms may appear before the spine symptoms, so attention is needed.
In some cases, chest pain comes first without spinal symptoms. Ankylosing spondylitis can cause inflammation of the area where the ligament attaches to the bone. Inflammation of the rib cartilage can cause chest pain. Furthermore, if the lungs cannot expand due to stiff ribs, shortness of breath or coughing may occur.
Ankylosing spondylitis is not a simple spinal disease, but an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune cells attack the spinal joints beyond the immune system, so symptoms may appear in areas other than joints.
The most common disease is uveitis. Symptoms may include reddened, painful or watery eyes, double vision or blurred vision due to bright lights. In addition, when inflammation occurs in the mucous membrane, symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, indigestion, and bloody stool may appear, and psoriasis may occur.
Regular stretching and smoking cessation help
Spinal joints once deformed by ankylosing spondylitis do not recover to their original state. Therefore, it is important to seek treatment as soon as possible when ankylosing spondylitis is suspected. If treatment is started early, it is possible to lead a normal daily life by slowing the progression of the disease as well as preventing further worsening of symptoms.
Ankylosing spondylitis is treated primarily with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce inflammation and eliminate pain. Recently, considering the effect of suppressing spinal deformity, it is treated with a biological injection called ‘tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitor’. Because it treats inflammation by blocking TNF-alpha action, which is the cause of the disease, it quickly improves pain.
In order to increase the treatment effect, it is good to combine medication and exercise. Exercises recommended by the Korean Society of Rheumatology include stretching, swimming, and cycling. Stretching is good for stretching the neck, shoulders, torso, waist, and hip joints back as much as possible. Regular stretching can help relieve pain.
“Ankylosing spondylitis is a disease that requires steady management, and it is important to frequently stretch to maintain joint flexibility and maintain correct posture,” said Haidak Rheumatology Counseling Doctor Song Sang-ho (Welton Hospital). “Swimming It is also an aerobic exercise that does not put too much strain on the joints, but caution is needed if there is a neck deformity.”
Lifestyle is also important. Avoid lying or sitting in too soft a place for a long time, and smokers should quit smoking right away. Smoking is very dangerous, especially if spinal stiffness has already progressed. This is because cigarettes not only have a bad effect on the lungs, but also can further reduce lung capacity due to rigidity.
Help = Director Song Sang-ho, counseling doctor at Haidak (Rheumatology Specialist at Welton Hospital)
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