Ankylosing spondylitis comes under a group of diseases known as spondyloarthropathies. These groups of diseases are constantly researched to find out new treatments. For example; a research has been going on to find out the mechanism responsible for triggering chronic inflammation by infectious agents.

There is research going on the characteristics of the HLA-B27 gene. For this research a multi-million dollars grant have been enabled by The National Institutes of Health by collaborating ten university medical centres and the Spondylitis Association of America. This collaboration is working on to identify the genetic reasons for getting Ankylosis Spondylitis.

The research has led to discover seven such chromosomes which contribute in causing ankylosis Spondylitis. The next phase of research is going on to determine which genes contribute to the onset and the severity of the disease. This research when successful will definitely lead to a better understanding of the disease and will help in discovering new ways of treatment.

There is research going on in the area of diet playing a role in having ankylosing spondylitis. It has confirmed that some specific nutrient and dietary practices are associated with most types of arthritis which include Ankylosing spondylitis. This disease is most common among people who consume rich foods, for example in countries like Europe, Canada, Australia and the USA.

At the same time it is uncommon in countries like Asia and Africa where fruits, vegetables and wholegrain contribute the major part of the diet of its people whereas meat is rarely eaten. The difference among the both cannot be determined by genetics as when a certain person adopts the rich food of western style diet, the person becomes prone to arthritis.

A study was done on arthritis sufferers who were advised to go on a vegan diet, for three weeks, which excludes meat, eggs, poultry, fish and dairy food and includes lots of vegetables and fresh fruits, whole grains, pulses, nuts and sprouts. The study found out that 60’% of the participants felt better with “less pain and increased functional ability”.

A later study into the dietary practices of arthritis sufferers found that most of them occasionally ate fruits and vegetables. The dairy products and meat contain arachidonic acid which is a fatty acid that contributes to the inflammation that is experienced in rheumatism and arthritis as it is converted in inflammatory leukotrines and prostaglandin. After going on a fat-free diet for seven weeks, many arthritis sufferers have experience a complete absence of any symptoms. Also, reintroduction of fats in their diets brought back the symptoms.

Research also shows that vitamin C is known to reduce inflammation as it boosts the immune system, so including it in the daily diet definitely helps. A study shows that cutting down on potatoes, tomatoes, red and green papers which contain sodium alkaloids can help in reduced pains, aches and disfigurement.