Diagnosing Ankylosing Spondylitis

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Diagnosing ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in its early stages is difficult because the disease often resembles more common disorders, such as back pain or undifferentiated arthritis.

Diagnosis includes:

• Distinguishing between inflammatory back pain (pain caused by inflammation or swelling of tissues within the body) and mechanical back pain (pain caused by movement alone) or other more common diseases with similar symptoms
• Determining the nature and severity of the disease

Most likely, your rheumatologist will make his or her diagnosis with an X-ray of your lower back and pelvis, your medical history, and physical examination results.

Monitoring Your Ankylosing Spondylitis

Once your ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is diagnosed, your rheumatologist will probably want to monitor your AS to determine its rate of progression. Ankylosing spondylitis does not progress the same way for every patient, so it is particularly important for you to partner with a rheumatologist to know what course your AS is taking. Your rheumatologist has various surveys and tests to assess the seriousness and activity of your AS. Some tests evaluate an AS patient’s ability to move their spinal joints and patients’ mobility.

These tests measure your disease activity and may also indicate whether your current treatment is relieving your ankylosing spondylitis symptoms. In addition, these tests may help your rheumatologist determine whether you can benefit from therapy with REMICADE.

Signs of AS that are commonly monitored:

• Fatigue
• Reduced ability to move the spine and expand the chest
• How much pain you experienced in the past week and how much pain you had in your spine at night
• Your total assessment of how you’re feeling and functioning
• How long your back is stiff in the morning, over the past week
• The number of your swollen joints and inflamed ligaments
• Development of a stooping posture (kyphosis)

Because AS is capable of causing irreversible deformity or permanent limitation of movement, an early diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis can give you a better chance of avoiding other potentially serious complications of the disease.