Ankylosing Spondylitis

Ankylosing Spondylitis

Ankylosing Spondylitis is a typical form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine. It comes from the Greek word "angkylos", which means bent and "spondylos", meaning spinal vertebrae. It involves inflammation of the spine and the sacroiliac joints. There can be inflammation in many other parts of the body like shoulders, hips, knees, ribs etc. Symptoms associated with ankylosing spondylitis are neck pain, stiffness under the neck and shoulders, immobility, sensitivity to light, less flexibility, stomach problems and spinal fusion. It is more common in men than women. Symptoms vary from person to person and gender to gender. Out of these spinal fusion is the most dangerous as where the vertebrae start joining to each other or fusing and gives a forward curved shape to the spine.
 
Ankylosing Spondylitis is also referred to as seronegative spondyloarthropathy. In this case you may have all the symptoms of the disease but not the positive blood test that is positive with this type of arthritis. The negative test is called the rheumatoid factor.
 
Several natural therapies can be useful during this condition. Most effective ones are massage therapy, acupuncture and stretching. A warm bath can also provide great relief. Curcumin based nutritional supplements can also help a lot in relieving inflammation.
 
Do’s 
  • Maintain good body posture
  • Undergo physical therapy
  • Improve sleeping posture
  • Use a good quality mattress
  • Consider taking yoga lessons from a good trainer
  • Include anti-inflammatory supplements in your diet
Don’ts
  • Do not smoke
  • Do not use a very high pillow
  • Do not slouch or sit with a bad posture
  • Do not take any medicine without consulting a specialist
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