Spondyloarthritis

What is Spondyloarthritis?

Spondyloarthritis is a term used to define inflammatory diseases, covering joints and joining points of tendons and ligaments. It is a type of arthritis that affects the spine and may involve skin, intestine or eyes in certain cases. It is also known as spondyloarthritis or spondyloarthropathy. The disease is similar to rheumatoid arthritis, but the rheumatoid factor in the blood does not increase in case of spondyloarthritis. This disease causes joint inflammation, leading to back pain and rashes.

If the lower vertebra back pain is ignored, normal functioning of the body is affected while also limiting mobility in severe cases. Pain in legs and arms is referred to as peripheral spondyloarthritis. It is often accompanied with inflammation and swelling around joints, which come and go.

Symptoms

The disease can be easily identified with the help of two main symptoms:

  • Lower back pain (the point where lower back joins the pelvis).
  • Pain and swelling in the arms and legs.

 

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Causes

It is a chronic joint disease, affecting children and adults, and specifically involves the joint between the lower back and pelvis, or affects enthesitis (joint where ligaments and tendons join). The doctors are not clear about the exact cause of the disease. However, the presence of HLA-B27 gene is identified as a possible cause. Individuals with this gene are likely to suffer from ankylosing spondyloarthritis and enteropathic arthritis.

 

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Risks

The main risk factors of the disease include:

  • Osteoporosis.
  • Pain and redness of the eyes.
  • Inflammation in the aortic heart valve.
  • Porosis and inflammation of the intestine.

 

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Prevention

In order to prevent the occurrence of this disease, one should take care of the following:

  • Hygienic eating.
  • Regular exercise.
  • Regular checkups with orthopedic surgeon.
  • Maintenance of a good posture.

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How is it diagnosed?

At Medanta, our doctor diagnoses spondyloarthritis based on the patient’s medical history and a physical examination. Other imaging tests may include:

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How is it treated?

In majority of the cases, where the symptoms are mild and subtle, spondyloarthropathy is often left undiagnosed and untreated for years. People do not pay attention to symptoms or consult a doctor till they face trouble in daily activities. 

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  • Medications

    Based on the patient’s condition and medical history, the doctor recommends certain tests, along with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and painkillers to treat pain, stiffness, and inflammation.
    Once the X-rays and MRI reports are available, further course of treatment is decided. The treatment may vary from person to person depending on the affected portion of spine and its severity. For example, medicines are used to treat intestinal inflammation in enteropathic arthritis.

When do I contact the doctor?

You should immediately consult a doctor, if you begin to face symptoms such as lower back pain and swelling. All these symptoms will be treated just right with the help of our medical expertise available at Medanta. 

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How does Medanta provide care?

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