Do you often experience back pain that doesn't go away even though you have various kinds of treatments? It could be that you have an autoimmune disease.
Yes, one of the causes of back pain is Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). What disease is it?
Ankylosing Spondylitis is an immune disorder / autoimmune disease, in which the immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues, causing inflammation (arthritis) in the spinal joints.
This disease can cause the vertebrae to join together, making it difficult for sufferers to move, become hunched over, and have difficulty breathing
According to one study, more than 70 percent of the world's population has ever complained of lower back pain, but not many are aware that this may be an early symptom of AS disease.
Most AS patients do not realize they have the disease. Usually they just found out and get checked out after worsening, such as persistent pain to impaired movement of the body, which usually occurs several years after the patient feels the initial symptoms.
In addition to occurring at the waist, patients with AS usually also experience symptoms such as inflammation (pain and stiffness) in the shoulders, hips, or heels and sometimes this is accompanied by fatigue and loss of energy for activities.
Because of its progressive nature, patients with AS often have pain that travels to other parts of the body, such as the knees, ankles and elbows. In patients with severe AS, there is a fusion of the vertebrae (resembling bamboo stalks).
Men have a higher chance of suffering from AS than women, generally symptoms begin to appear at the age of 15–45 years.
Things that need to be considered to prevent this disease are by living a healthy lifestyle, exercising, eating healthy foods, and most importantly education.