What is Spondylarthritis?
Spondylarthritis is a combined group of inflammatory diseases which cause inflammation in joints or arthritis. It is divided into categories as axial or peripheral.
Axial: It affects mostly pelvic joints and spine.
Peripheral: It mainly affects the limbs.
Spondylarthritis can also inflammation in the eyes, gastrointestinal tract, and ligaments, and tendons attachment.
Types of Spondylarthritis:
Ankylosing Spondylitis is the most common type of spondylarthritis, which affects the joints of the spine. The other types of spondylarthritis are:
- Reactive arthritis
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Undifferentiated spondylarthritis
- Juvenile enthesitis-related arthritis
- Enteropathic arthritis
Symptoms of Spondylarthritis:
Generally, the common symptoms are pain, stiffness, and swelling. Damages in bone are also possible. The symptoms of the spondylarthritis depend on the type of spondylarthritis you are suffering from.
Ankylosing Spondylitis
In this, the patient may suffer pain in the lower back and buttocks. However, it can spread to the neck and chest, including tendons and ligaments. Sometimes, it can impact the heart and lungs also.
Enteropathic Arthritis
It can cause pain in leg joints, spine, and also in arms. Bloody diarrhoea and abdominal pain can also cause due to inflammatory bowel disease.
Juvenile Arthritis:
It causes pain in knees, ankles, hips, & pelvis and can also fatigue.
Psoriatic Arthritis:
This arthritis affects the spine of the body, and also can cause pain in the neck.
Reactive Arthritis:
It causes inflammation in joints, eyes, and urinary tract, in addition to, inflammation of spinal joints.
Causes of Spondylarthritis:
There is no particular cause of spondylarthritis identified yet, but genetics play an important role in especially HLA-B27 which is the main gene. It increases the chances of developing it.
Many researches have also shown the relation between microbiome imbalance and development of spondylarthritis.
Diagnosis:
If diagnose early, then spondylarthritis symptoms are manageable and there are fewer chances of complications and disability. The doctor will examine the symptoms, medical history, along with with some tests such as X-rays, MRI scan, blood tests
Treatments
Only a rheumatologist is certified to provide treatment for the Spondylarthritis. Rheumatologist are trained doctors, having specialization in treating all forms of arthritis. After the proper diagnosis, they will identify the type of spondylarthritis and will create a proper course of the treatment.
The treatment of spondylarthritis depends on the type of it. Treatment involves both medications and physical therapies.
Medications
Generally, a rheumatologist will prescribe you NSAIDs and DMARDs depends on the severity of the pain and type.
Physical Therapies
Apart from the medications, physical therapies are recommended in spondylarthritis. Physical therapy primarily focuses on exercises that provide more mobility & strength, and symptoms. It includes flexible, strengthening, and stretching exercises.
Dr. Bhupendra Vaishnav is an expert rheumatologist doctor in providing Axial Spondylarthritis, and treatments of other arthritis problems. You should consult him for getting the best spondylarthritis treatment in Jaipur.