What is Ankylosing Spondylitis?

The National Anklosing Spondylitis Society (NASS) describe AS as a painful and progressive form of inflammatory arthritis.

Spondylos is the Greek word for vertebra and Ankylosing, from another Greek word, agkylosis, means causing stiffness and immobility of a joint.

The condition is chronic (long term) and mainly affects parts of the spine, including bones, muscles and ligaments and sacroiliac joints, the joints at the base of the spine.

Stiffness and pain are caused as a result of inflammation on the ligaments attached to the bones. As part of the healing process, the inflammation is followed by the body repairing itself with new bone.

In severe cases the repetition of inflammation and repair results in too much new bone forming and spinal joints (vertebrae) can fuse together.

NASS also mention that AS can be associated with conditions affecting the eyes (uveitis), bowels (inflammatory bowel disease), lungs (reduced capacity due to stiff ribs), the heart (increased cardiovascular risk) and with psoriasis (red, flaky skin condition).