Diagnosing ankylosing spondylitis can be very daunting as a person shows the same symptoms as that of the less severe forms of arthritis. The symptoms include stiff and painful back, loss of appetite, fever, fatigue and breathing problems. Accurate diagnosis can take time as back pain is a universal symptom of all the forms of arthritis.

It is always important to have Ankylosing spondylitis diagnosed at the earliest as there are many effective treatments available. The points considered while making the diagnosis are; whether the person is under 35 years of age; the pain is chronic i.e. it has lasted for more than 3 months; the back pain is worse after long periods of rest especially in the morning; the back pain and the stiffness ease after doing exercise or any physical activity; and the patient is giving positive response to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs.

The doctor physically examines sites of inflammation such as pain and tenderness in the back, chest, sacroiliac joints, pelvic bones or the heel. The checkup includes limitations of mobility of the spine in all directions or whether there is any restriction in expanding the chest cavity before diagnosing ankylosing spondylitis.

The other symptoms taken into account are whether the person has suffered from inflammation of the eye; had any gastrointestinal infections; or have a family history of ankylosing spondylitis. The doctor also checks presence of fatigue due to inflammation.

The tests usually done in diagnosing ankylosing spondylitis are;   X-rays which show whether the sacroiliac joints are inflamed but the conventional X-rays show the changes in the sacroiliac joints only if the disease is in a progressive state. Another method to diagnose inflammation in the sacroiliac joints is MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging as if no changes are seen in the X-rays; an MRI can give an earlier diagnosis. Ultrasound is now being studied as a way to diagnose ankylosing spondylitis at the earliest.

Blood tests are performed to check whether the HLA-B27 gene is present. Many people may not develop ankylosing spondylitis even if they have the HLA-B27 gene present, but the test results can help if the patient’s symptoms and physical tests have not confirmed a diagnosis. A sedimentation rate test is done to check if there is inflammation in other joints of the body far from spine.

The Ankylosing Spondylitis is a progressive disease which affects other regions of the body so a sedimentation rate is done to observe its severity. Diagnosing Ankylosing Spondylitis on time and getting proper treatment can certainly help a person lead full and active life.