Some people with AS have a condition called kyphosis, which is where you develop a forward stoop. You will only be referred to a spinal surgeon if the postural problem is severely affecting your quality of life or if you have broken a bone in your back.
Hear a rheumatologist explain more about when surgery may be required
Please note that by clicking on external links, you are leaving the tool neither Novartis or NASS can be held responsible for the content you find.
To consent and leave this tool, click here Return to websiteThis interactive tool aims to bring the NICE ‘Spondyloarthritis in over 16s’ Guideline to life. It will help you understand the AS journey and the care you should receive.
It contains content from the NICE Guideline itself, plus additional interactive content and other downloadable information and resources.
Spondyloarthritis is an umbrella term for inflammatory diseases that involve both the joints and the entheses (the sites where the ligaments and tendons attach to the bones). The most common form is axial spondyloarthritis (AS), which is also known as ankylosing spondylitis when the changes to the joints can be seen on an x-ray. Why this happens is not fully understood, but research shows that it can run in families — spondyloarthritis is more common in people who have a particular variant of the HLA-B gene, called HLA-B27.
Other conditions increase a person's risk of developing spondyloarthritis. These include:
This tool focuses on the likely treatment journey of AS patients, but the other main type of spondyloarthritis is peripheral spondyloarthritis, which causes pain, stiffness and swelling in the hands, feet, arms and legs - the most common form is psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) gives advice to staff working in health and social care. NICE guidelines help them give the best care to people with different conditions and needs.
NICE wrote the ‘Spondyloarthritis in over 16s: diagnosis and management’ Guideline with people who have been affected by spondyloarthritis and staff who support them. The content included in this tool is taken from the Information for the Public section of the NICE Guideline. To read the full Guideline, please click the link below
Your healthcare professional should be familiar with the NICE Guidelines, so talk to them if you have any queries or feel you are not getting the care you should be getting according to the Guideline.
Please note that by clicking on external links you are leaving this tool and neither Novartis nor NASS are responsible for the content you find.
To consent and leave this tool, click here Return to websitePlease note that by clicking on external links you are leaving this tool and neither Novartis nor NASS are responsible for the content you find.
To consent and leave this tool, click here Return to website
