Symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis

Below is a list of common symptoms of AS:

– Stiffness in your back growing worse over a long period as opposed to short sharp pain
– Pain in the hips and buttocks
– Early morning stiffness that eases after rising and moving around
– Restricted movement in your back and neck
– Fatigue or tiredness

I should mention that back pain, which is the largest cause of work absence in the UK and affects 4 out of 5 of us at some point, is a symptom of many possible causes, both short and long term. These common symptoms are part of the problem with diagnosing AS.

Symptoms of AS can be mistaken for mechanical back pain, also referred to as non-specific back pain. Most back pain cases do fall within this category.

Back pain and a combination of other factors will help with your diagnosis.