Ankylosing Spondylitis - FAQs
I have been suffering from ankylosing spondylitis. Will my children also suffer from it?
Because ankylosing spondylitis is a disease that runs in the family, it may be possible for your children to be at a risk of developing ankylosing spondylitis. The presence of the gene HLA-B27 in your children may make them more vulnerable to the disease. But it is difficult to predict the possibility, and the answer would be they may or may not suffer from ankylosing spondylitis.
Can surgical treatment help in ankylosing spondylitis?
Surgical treatment is not done for ankylosing spondylitis as a disease itself, but in some cases where the joints have fusion and leading to nerve compression surgical treatment is done. The goal of surgery is to eliminate compression of the nerve roots, and the second is to stabilise the spine. Surgery is not a recommended option for most patients.
Can ankylosing spondylitis be cured?
Ankylosing spondylitis is a difficult condition to cure because of the fusing of bones. The aim of our homeopathic treatment is to relieve you of your pain and discomfort and to prevent it from progressing.
Will diet and exercise help?
A healthy diet and exercise are good for everyone but may be especially helpful if you have ankylosing spondylitis. Exercise and stretching, when done carefully and increased gradually, may help painful, stiff joints.
Strengthening exercises, performed with weights or done by tightening the muscles without moving the joints, build the muscles around painful joints to better support them. Exercises that do not require joint movement can be done even when your joints are painful and inflamed.
Range-of-motion exercises improve movement and flexibility and reduce stiffness in the affected joint. If the spine is painful and/or inflamed, exercises to stretch and extend the back can be helpful in preventing long-term disability.
Many people with ankylosing spondylitis find it helpful to exercise in water. Before beginning an exercise programme, it is important to speak with our doctor who can recommend appropriate exercises.
How will homeopathy help me?
Our homeopathic treatment is aimed at three things:
- to help you reduce pain and have a better quality of life;
- preventing the disease from getting worse; and
- preventing the disease from spreading to other parts of the body, and thereby preventing other complications associated with ankolising spondylitis.
I am taking non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory drugs, and TNF blockers for ankylosing spondylitis. Can I take this on a long-term basis?
While these medicines can offer you temporary pain relief, they are certainly not advisable for long-term use, as they have a host of side-effects, including gastrointestinal bleeding and various neurological problems.
While taking homeopathy will I have to continue with my allopathic medications?
If you are already taking allopathic medications for long time and are dependent on them for your pain control, we would not advise you to stop the medication immediately. Over a period of time, once your homeopathic medicines have started, we would want you to reduce your dependency on allopathic medication to a minimum after a consultation with your allopathic doctor.
Myths and facts
- Ankylosing spondylitis is a rare condition.
Ankylosing spondylitis is more common than one might think. Estimates have shown that ankylosing spondylitis affects up to 1.4% of the general population. - Ankylosing spondylitis is primarily a concern for men.
Although young men are two to three times more likely to be affected by ankylosing spondylitis than young women, ankylosing spondylitis affects both sexes. - Ankylosing spondylitis only affects your back.
Chronic back pain is one of the most common symptoms for ankylosing spondylitis, because it often affects the spine. However, it can also affect other parts of the body, including the aortic valve of the heart, the eyes, the skin, via the ribs, the digestive system and the kidneys. - Rest is one of the best ways to combat the ankylosing spondylitis pain.
Activity is actually one of the best things one can do for their ankylosing spondylitis. Indeed, research published in the March 2014 issue of the Annals of Rheumatic Disease found that study participants who followed a home exercise routine of postural, muscle strength, stretching and respiratory exercises improved their quality of life and decreased emotional stress and fatigue associated with ankylosing spondylitis. Our doctors can suggest specific exercises that might be good for the patient to do at home. - Ankylosing spondylitis always results in a fused spine.
A fused spine only occurs in the later stages of ankylosing spondylitis. For some people, the condition never progresses that far. Therefore, immediate diagnosis and treatment is essential to prevent irreversible damage. - Ankylosing spondylitis is always diagnosed from back pain.
It is hard to diagnose ankylosing spondylitis based only on back pain because back pain is so common. Therefore, a doctor also relies on the X-ray results to detect the signs of ankylosing spondylitis and to diagnose an altogether different medical issue.