Arthritis has many different forms, one of which is Strumpell-Marie's disease or ankylosing spondylitis. This pathology provokes a decrease in the mobility of small vertebrae, usually in the sacral region, and their subsequent fusion with the appearance of ankylosis (bone formations instead of cartilaginous tissue).
How does the disease develop ankylosing spondylitis?
The described ailment is diagnosed separately from arthritis relatively recently, about 50-60 years.
The onset of the disease is characterized by osteitis - inflammation of the joint tissue along the edges. As a result of this process, specific pathogenic cells gradually accumulate in the affected areas, which, as a result of vital activity, produce chemical compounds that damage and dissolve bones. To compensate for damage, the body replaces the cartilaginous tissue with a scar or more solid (bone) with a concentrated calcium content. Such a process leads to the fact that the vertebrae fuse into blocks (ankylosis).
There are no exact reasons for the disease in question. There is a theory that ankylosing spondylitis can be provoked by a genetic predisposition, but the presence of an appropriate gene does not mean that the pathology will manifest itself.
It is important to note that women suffer from a disease 3 times less often than men. It is interesting that in the vast majority of cases in the fair sex an ailment appears during pregnancy.
Symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis
Early signs:
- pain in the lower back and buttocks, mild;
- increased discomfort in the hip, especially when walking or running;
- stiffness of the movements of the waist in the mornings, which disappears during the day;
- increased pain intensity during rest.
Gradually, clinical manifestations spread to other parts of the spine:
- reduced flexibility and mobility, difficulties with bending forward;
- pain in the abdominal cavity, sometimes in the chest;
- kyphosis and synovitis;
- defeat of the thoracic spine, which is expressed in stiffness and unpleasant tingling in the region between the scapulae;
- pain in the neck (at the base);
- iridocyclitis , redness of the eyes.
In the absence of therapy, ankylosing spondylitis or Bekhterev's disease leads to multiple fissures of the vertebrae, which makes the vertebral column fragile and vulnerable to damage, injuries and fractures.
Treatment of ankylosing spondylitis
Unfortunately, it has not been possible to find a means to completely get rid of the disease. Complex therapy is aimed at reducing symptoms and improving the general condition of the patient, as well as slowing the progression of the disease and ankylosis.
Medicamentous conservative treatment consists in the admission of the following drugs:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Indomethacin, Ibuprofen, Nimesulide, Diclofenac ), in rare cases more serious drugs are prescribed for analgesia, for example, Salazosulfapyridine;
- glucocorticosteroid hormones (Prednisolone) for immunosuppression;
- vitamins and micronutrient complexes;
- chondroprotectors (with proven effectiveness),
such as chondroitin, chondrosol.
In addition to drug treatment it is important to use physiotherapy techniques, manual therapy, in particular - massage, as well as special gymnastics. Exercises and their frequency are chosen by a rehabilitator in accordance with the severity of the symptoms and the general condition of the patient.
Very rarely, with ankylosing spondylitis, surgical intervention is recommended, as a rule, if kyphosis develops and the mobility of the spine is too limited. During the operation, bone growths are removed, and the vertebrae are set in the correct position.