Spondyloarthropathies

These are a group of disorders involving the spine and other parts of the body causing painful and stiff joints. The exact cause of most of these conditions is not known. They all involve the immune systems (the body’s defense mechanism against viruses, bacteria etc). Some of the common conditions are

• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Ulcerative colitis
• Enteropathic spondylitis
• Psoriatic spondylitis
• Crohn’s disease
• Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
• Undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy

Typical symptoms are back pain of longer duration – usually months. Patient experiences early morning stiffness – i.e., tightness of the spine after getting up in the morning, which slowly weans off within half an hour to an hour. There may be associated weight loss, loss of appetite etc. Untreated, such conditions invariably result in permanent stiffness of the spine. In Ortho-One these patients are investigated initially with basic blood investigations like CRP and ESR. If found elevated along with clinical parameters, they are categorized into either arthritis panel 1 or arthritis panel 2. Treatment will depend upon blood reports. Each disorder requires specialized therapy. Extreme importance is given to exercise therapy. We try to avoid painkillers to the extent possible. Other pain management modalities and special injection techniques are available to relieve pain. Patients are started on disease-modifying medication directly which helps in early control of ailment rather than mere symptomatic relief.