What is spondylitis arthritis?

Arthritis in the spine is called Ankylosing Spondylitis..... It is a chronic inflammatory form of arthritis that mainly affects the joints of the spine (vertebrae). Inflammation, swelling and irritation cause Back pain and stiffness. Over time, people living with AS tend to stoop forward. This leads to a rounding of the back. In severe cases, vertebrae may fuse together causing the spine to stiffen. This results in a major loss of movement.

Inflammation of the tendons and ligaments that connect and support the vertebrae can cause pain and tenderness in the ribs, shoulder blades, hips, thighs, shins, heels, as well as along the bony points of the spinal column. However the main problem with AS involves the lower back joints where the spine joins the pelvis (known as the sacroiliac or SI joints).

AS may affect different people in different ways. Some people have only temporary episodes of back pain. Others have more chronic severe back pain that may lead to stiffness of the spine over time.

Between 150,000 and 300,000 Canadians (as many as 1 in 100) have AS. It is three times more common in men than in women. Statistics show that it takes a longer time for the disease to be diagnosed in women.