About the Medical Condition Spondylitis
Spondylitis is a condition similar to arthritis but with somewhat different features. This article describes how someone is diagnosed with spondylitis and reviews some of the condition's common treatments and outcomes.
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Type
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Spondylitis is actually an umbrella term for several disorders, the most common of which is ankylosing spondylitis. However, the term also includes undifferentiated spondyloarthopathy and juvenile spondyloarthropathy, as well as psoriatic, reactive and enteropathic arthritis. All of these groups of spondylitis are forms of the condition arthritis and are grouped together because they have one thing in common: they tend to affect the spine more than any other joint in the body.
Misconceptions
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Because spondylitis affects the joints and some organs, it can often be confused with either rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis. This may be because the symptoms are similar and because these forms of arthritis are more widely known than spondyloarthopathy. While many of the presentations and treatments of spondylitis are similar to or the same as other forms of arthritis, the diagnosis itself is different. Spondylitis mostly affects the joints in the spine, though it can also attack other joints and affect the function of some organs.
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The Facts
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Most cases of spondylitis refer to the ankylosing type, also known as AS. If you or someone you know has AS, you can expect it to begin in early adulthood. In AS, the spinal joint spaces swell, which not only causes severe, chronic arthritic pain but can also lead to deformities of the spine. This is because AS causes bony deposits to form and fuse the individual joints together. Posture is often affected as a result of these formations. Other forms of spondylitis may affect the joints in the hips and legs, may cause problems with eyesight or may be accompanied by psoriasis or colitis.
Identification
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Like other forms of arthritis, spondylitis is not as easy to diagnose as you might think. According to the Spondylitis Association of America, a rheumatologist will diagnose AS if the following criteria have been met, and other rheumatic illnesses are ruled out: the patient is 35 years old or younger, has had chronic pain for at least 3 months, has back pain or stiffness that is worse after immobility and better after movement or exercise, and has pain that responds well to NSAIDS, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories. While blood tests for certain genes and proteins are common, they are often inconclusive.
Significance
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Because spondylitis affects everyone differently, it is not easy to describe outcomes that will be accurate for everybody. Some people will function well for the rest of their lives by using anti-inflammatories, while others may develop spinal deformities such as kyphosis. Some individuals with AS may find that day-to-day living becomes increasingly difficult due to the involvement of multiple joints or other bodily systems. Most people living with spondylitis can continue to have meaningful lives with the support of their physician and loved ones.
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