QUESTION: My son who is 37 has been diagnosed as having a type of arthritis in which his spinal column may fuse and become one bone.
We are desperate for information that can help him prevent this terrible disease from progressing and robbing him of his youth.
Please help.
ANSWER: Without doubt you are referring to a rheumatic disorder known as ankylosing spondylitis (AS) or sometimes referred to as Marie-Strumpell Disease.
It is a disease that is three times more common in men than in women, and strikes between the ages of 20 and 40 years of age.
The most common complaint of patients with AS is stiffness, particularly in the morning which is gradually relieved by activity.
Although the stiffness may occur in any joint, knees, ankles, shoulders and hips, it is the back that is the eventual target, with back pain of varying intensity, occurring frequently at night.
The term "ankylosis" means stiffening, while "spondyl" refers to the vertebrae and "itis" denotes inflammation.
The disease process is one of inflammation, with the tissues around the joints of the body, particularly the spine, become inflamed and swollen.
This creates the pain, and the patient attempts to reduce the discomfort by keeping the joint immobile, which of course leads to more stiffening.
As the joint attempts to heal, new bone is formed which may eventually join one vertebra to another, but it is the extremely rare case where the whole back bone becomes a single fused bone. Much can be done to help your son.
To begin, the joint pain and stiffness, as well as muscle spasm may, be relieved using NSAIDS (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).
In addition a program of daily exercise to maintain both correct posture and flexibility is vital.
The good news is that even in patients who are not correctly diagnosed or treated, the condition may not disrupt their lifestyle or cause a deformity.
However, continued care and attention to therapy can frequently reduce this condition to occasional episodes of back aches and spasm, without deformity or compromised posture.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
