What should you know about early onset ankylosing spondylitis?

Ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory condition involving the spine and joints where tendons or ligaments attach. When it begins early in life, symptoms may be mistaken for strain: recurring lower-back or buttock pain, morning joint stiffness, night discomfort, or stiffness after sitting that improves after moving. Reduced range of motion can develop in the spine, hips, or chest, and other joints may hurt or swell.

Symptoms vary, and mechanical back pain can feel similar. Diagnosis depends on a clinician's history and examination, with imaging or laboratory tests chosen when useful. Early symptoms do not predict exactly how the condition will progress.

Seek assessment when symptoms continue, recur, disturb sleep, or restrict work, sport, or study. Keep active with pacing and avoid prolonged bed rest unless specifically advised. Physiotherapy can address posture, spinal mobility, chest expansion, and strength. Exercise therapy may be adapted around flares; hydrotherapy can provide a lower-impact setting. A clinician may discuss anti-inflammatory medication and referral to rheumatology, considering your other conditions and medicines.

Get urgent help for new bladder or bowel problems, numbness around the groin, or rapidly increasing weakness in a leg. Prompt review is needed for a red painful eye with light sensitivity, fever with severe spinal pain, or a sudden major change in movement.

Ask what features suggest inflammatory back pain, whether rheumatology review is needed, and which tests could clarify the diagnosis. Ask for a safe exercise plan and how to adjust it when symptoms flare.