It's hard to get over it. You have to avoid the "rigid spondylitis"
Dec 10, 2024
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'Stiff spondylitis' is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes pain and stiffness mainly due to inflammation of the spine and joints. It usually develops in young adults in their teens and 30s, and the younger it develops, the faster and more severe the disease progresses.
Jeong Seong-soo, a professor of rheumatology at Soon Chunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, said "An ankylosing spondylitis is a relatively rare disease, with a prevalence of about 0.3 to 0.5 per 1,000 people. There are two to three times more male patients than women, and for women, symptoms may be relatively mild and progression may be slow."
ankylosing spondylitis is characterized by feeling more stiff when waking up in the morning or when sitting for a long time. Over time, the vertebrae stick to each other and are rigid, and if you take an X-ray, you can observe a straight line like a bamboo. Pain begins mildly in the early stages, but gets worse over time. Pain can progress in the order of the ceiling joint, which is the area where the pelvis and spine meet, the waist and spine, and hip and leg radiating pain. In addition, symptoms such as eye inflammation, red scaly rash on the skin, inflammatory bowel disease, heart valve problems, aortitis, and decreased lung function can occur.
The cause of ankylosing spondylitis is not yet clear, but genetic factors and abnormalities in the immune system are known to be the main causes. In 80% to 90% of patients with ankylosing spondylitis, the 'HLA-B27' gene, which is associated with a body-defending immune response, appears positive. In addition, it is known that the combination of environmental factors such as intestinal microbes can increase the risk of developing ankylosing spondylitis.
To diagnose ankylosing spondylitis, clinical symptoms, imaging tests, and blood tests are mainly evaluated comprehensively. After staying still for a long time, listen to the stiffness you feel when you move, symptoms that ease when you move, and family history. The changes in the sacroiliac joint inflammation and bone are observed through X-ray examination, and the initial inflammation can be confirmed through MRI. In addition, the presence of the 'HLA-B27' gene is checked through blood tests, and the level of inflammation can be evaluated through the C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate test.
Professor Jeong Seong-soo said "An ankylosing spondylitis is a disease that is difficult to cure. However, various treatments can manage symptoms, reduce inflammation, and slow joint stiffness and deformation", he explained.
Treatment methods are largely divided into pharmacological and non-pharmaceutical treatments. Drug treatments include anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-rheumatic drugs, biological agents 'anti-TNF antibodies', interleukin-17 inhibitors, and small molecule inhibitors 'JAK inhibitors'. Non-drug treatment includes exercise and physical therapy, posture correction, and lifestyle improvement.
In particular, if the microbial environment in the intestine is not good, unnecessary immune responses occur and inflammation occurs repeatedly, so it is important to manage the microbial ecosystem through a healthy diet. Avoid flour foods, milk, dairy products, simple sugars, and processed foods, and recommend foods rich in anti-inflammatory foods such as vegetables, vegetables, and omega-3. Proper exercise such as stretching, flexibility exercise, maintenance of correct posture, breathing exercise, and strength exercise, as well as smoking cessation and abstaining, stress management and proper sleeping habits, are also important.
Professor Jeong Seong-soo said, `Although ankylosing spondylitis is difficult to prevent completely due to large genetic factors, it is possible to lower the risk of developing it by controlling lifestyle and eating habits and to manage it so that symptoms do not worsen. In particular, it is good to avoid bad postures in life, that is, bent postures, sitting on the floor, sitting on the floor for a long time, and to turn sideways when getting out of bed and get up, he advised.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
