Ankylosing spondylitis is a painful, progressive, rheumatic disease. It mainly affects the spine but can also affect other joints, tendons and ligaments. It can also affect the eyes, lungs, bowel and heart.

The name Ankylosing Spondylitis comes from two Greek words – Ankylosing meaning fused together and Spondylitis indicating inflammation of the vertebrae. It describes the condition by which some or all of the joints and bones of the spine start to become fused together.

Ankylosing spondylitis typically strikes people in their late teens and twenties, and is more common in men than in women, affecting approximately 1 in 200 men and 1 in 500 women.  

Typical symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis include:

• Slow or gradual onset of back pain and stiffness over weeks and months
• Early-morning stiffness and pain
• Persistence of these symptoms for more than three months
• Feeling better after exercise and feeling worse after rest
• Weight loss, especially in the early stages
• Fatigue
• Feeling feverish and experiencing night sweats

The most common form of treatment for ankylosing spondylitis is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to reduce inflammation and relieve pain and stiffness. Others prefer to take simple pain killers such as paracetamol. Physiotherapy is also important. 

When NSAIDs are not enough, disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), such as sulfasalazine, methotrexate and corticosteroids, may be tried. In addition, in the last few years, a new form of biological treatment, called TNF blockers (or anti-TNF drugs) has become available.