Health

Understanding Spondylitis : Symptoms, Causes, And Management

Today, spondylitis is common in every house due to the change in lifestyle we're going through. Bending your neck to watch content on your smartphone stresses your spinal nerves hence causing cervical spondylitis. It is a term that broadly represents a lot of conditions such as neck pain, joint pain & other variety of arthritis. If spondylitis is not damaged it may cause mobility complications as well as disability. So, let's explore the different forms of spondylitis, its symptoms & causes.

Types of Spondylitis:

1. Ankylosing Spondylitis: It is a form of inflammatory arthritis which affects the spine & neck joints. It causes various spinal bones to fuse thus limiting flexibility & proper mobility of that area. It mostly appears during the start of adulthood.

2. Psoriatic arthritis: It causes inflammation in certain areas which in turn causes pain & swelling. It occurs when the immune system becomes overactive.

3. Reactive arthritis: It occurs when another part of the body suffers infection or discomfort. It is also known as Reiter's Syndrome. Just like psoriatic arthritis, it causes inflammation in the joints, accompanied by pain & swelling.

4. Enteropathic Spondylitis: It is a type of spondylitis that is caused due to bowel infection or inflammation. It is closely related to & triggered by bowel or gastrointestinal diseases. Sudden weight loss & irregular bowel movements are the primary symptoms of enteropathic spondylitis.

 

What are the symptoms of spondylitis?

•Back Pain

•Neck Pain

•Swelling in joints

•Fatigue

•Stiffness

•Digestive irregularities

Early symptoms may include constant back pain, neck pain, lower back pain & reduced mobility. Although it depends on the type of issue & may vary from individual to individual. Stiffness in the lower back areas & hips may worsen with time. A person with spondylitis will also experience fatigue with even short periods of inactivity. Especially during the morning time, the body's flexibility is reduced to half as a result mobility is also hindered. Also, the body's digestive system tends to act abnormally when a person is suffering from any kind of spondylitis.

 

Causes & Risk factors:

There is no exact cause of spondylitis. It may get triggered due to issues residing inside the human body, or unhealthy lifestyle choices. When there is an inflammatory infection in the body, certain kinds of arthritis may get triggered & start causing complications. Also, abnormal immune function can lead to several kinds of spondylitis. When a person suffers from bowel inflammation, enteropathic arthritis emerges thus causing weight loss, bloating & joint inflammation. Most commonly, when a person doesn't engage in physical activities, has a bad posture & sleeps in a bad position, spondylitis may start to appear in no time. 

 

How to Diagnose Spondylitis?

Treatment for spondylitis is a multiple-step process that is correlated to each other. Expert supervision is always recommended as they will take previous medical history and real-time physical examinations into consideration. Imaging tests such as MRI, CT Scan & X-ray can determine changes in the physical structure as well as a fusion of the bones & joints. Other pathological tests are conducted to determine the level of inflammation in the body & what's causing it. Here at Quickobook, you may find your nearest branded Diagnostic Centre, where you can conduct all the required pathological tests at the maximum possible discount. Just upload or share your prescription here at Lab Test Portal & our Carebuddy will get in touch with you. 

 

Treatment & Management :

Spondylitis is a condition that is caused due to several factors mainly including lifestyle choices. It can be kept under control by using medications, improving the quality of life & physiotherapy. Anti-inflammatory drugs can help reduce swelling whereas physical exercises help with better flexibility & mobility of the body parts. Lifestyle changes such as good diet, giving up on smoking & stress management can also help control the effects of spondylitis. Smoking usually worsens the symptoms & accelerates the progress of the disease more rapidly. Yoga can help with spondylitis as well, as it improves mobility & relieves the nerves from tension & stress. But when the spondylitis gets severe as the bones & joints fuse, surgery might be required. 

 

Living with Spondylitis

Managing spondylitis is a long journey till the end of life. Regular exercises tend to normalize ta pain and fatigue one experiences while being diagnosed with spondylitis. Posture awareness is also necessary, as proper sitting & sleeping positions play a huge part in managing the complications related to spondylitis. 

 

Conclusion

Spondylitis is easy to manage when detected early as once it gets severe only surgical options can help. Even after surgery, it's hard to manage as various complications may arise post-surgery if dedicated care is not taken. Regular consultation with the Doctor is needed & diagnosis is also required to see if there is persisting inflammation in the body. Quickobook can help you find your nearest specialist & our carebuddy will help you regarding appointments & queries. So visit www.quickobook.com today for free surgery care assistance and many more.