Ankylosing spondylitis is one of the types of inflammatory arthritis which is characterized by the involvement of spine and other body parts like eyes, heart, lungs and kidneys. It is mainly caused due to some genetic factors especially HLA-B27 and frequent gastrointestinal infections. Although symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis begin in early adulthood between the age-group of 20-30, they may occur in early childhood or much later. The symptoms start gradually and last more than 3 months.

Diffused pain and stiffness in the buttocks and lower back are the most common symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis. The pain and stiffness worsens in the morning and during night and may be improved by light exercise or warm shower. The pain may worsen after prolonged sitting or rest and it may improve with exercise and activity. Other symptoms observed in the early stages of ankylosing spondylitis are loss of appetite, mild fever and general discomfort.

With the progress of ankylosing spondylitis, the vertebral spines get fused which can increase the risk of damaging the bones. It imparts excessive stress on the surrounding structures including tendons, ligaments and muscles. A fused spine may become more brittle with mechanical stress which may result in loss of motion. Damage to the spinal cord, nerves and roots can give rise to the symptoms like changes in movement, strength and sensation.

Some other symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis are hip pain, shoulder pain, peripheral arthritis and enthesitis. Arthritis of hip is commonly found in ankylosing spondylitis which can cause pain in the hips and difficulty in walking. Another symptom, shoulder pain is due to inflammation of tendons and bones which can cause restriction in the mobility of affected shoulder. In ankylosing spondylitis, there may be pain, swelling and stiffness of peripheral joints and it can affect a single joint (monoarthritis) or more joints (oligoarthritis).

Enthesitis is one of the important features of ankylosing spondylitis. Enthesitis is an inflammation of enthesis which is a region where a ligament or tendon attaches to the bone. Other than spine, enthesitis may develop in ribs, heel and elbow. Enthesitis of ribs can cause chest pain particularly during deep breath, sneezing and coughing.

Just like other chronic inflammatory diseases, patients with ankylosing spondylitis may have malaise and fatigue. Other symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis are low grade fever, weight loss and disturbed sleep due to joint pain. Besides this, some people may experience the bowel inflammation that is associated with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.

Generally, ankylosing spondylitis is accompanied by uvetitis or iritis (inflammation of eyes). Uvetitis or iritis may cause watery, red and painful eyes which may result in sensitivity to bright light and blurred vision.

The treatment of ankylosing spondylitis is meant for relieving stiffness and pain and to prevent the complications and spinal deformity. Various treatment options for this disease are medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, physical therapy and some surgical options.