When is back discomfort a symptom of rheumatism?

Rheumatism isn't merely an illness that affects the elderly. Dr. Klemm, a rheumatologist, explains which type of rheumatism affects younger people on World Rheumatism Day.

Many people identify rheumatism as an age-related ailment. Rheumatism, on the other hand, has various faces and affects people of all ages: "It is a common fallacy that rheumatism affects exclusively the elderly. Rheumatism can strike anyone at any age. Axial spondyloarthritis, commonly known as ankylosing spondylitis, is a type of rheumatism that primarily affects people between the ages of 20 and 40 "Dr. Philipp Klemm of the Kerckhoff Clinic's Rheumatism Center in Bad Nauheim says.

When your back hurts but you don't think it's because of a disc

Bekhterev's disease is an inflammatory rheumatic disease that mostly affects the pelvic vertebrae. This causes pain that is frequently misinterpreted as lumbago or disc problems at first. "The main symptom is a deep-seated backache in the lumbar spine-pelvic area that occurs before the age of 45, is particularly acute at night-early in the morning, and improves with exercise," the rheumatologist notes. Morning stiffness is another common symptom: after waking up, the back remains stiff and inflexible for at least 30 minutes; however, with activity, this improves.

"Unfortunately, it takes an average of many years for the disease to be detected. This is owing to the fact that, at initially, younger sufferers do not associate inflammation with their symptoms. That is why I advise anyone suffering from chronic deep-seated back pain at a young age to take it seriously and seek medical attention as soon as possible "Dr. Klemm advises.

Treatment that is effective reduces long-term damage and improves the quality of life.

However, the correct diagnosis is required before the appropriate treatment may be administered: "A blood test can assist clarify whether there is a genetic tendency, which is the case in roughly 90% of those affected," says the rheumatism expert, "after taking the patient's medical history and inspecting the patient." While X-rays can show the inflammatory changes in the vertebrae as the disease advances, this is not the case in the early stages: "Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI for short, supplies the proof in these circumstances."

Once a diagnosis has been made, the appropriate therapy can assist to control vertebral body inflammation and prevent persistent stiffening. Physiotherapy, in addition to anti-inflammatory medicines such ibuprofen and diclofenac, is an important component of treatment. "If no improvement is seen, so-called biologics can be administered," Dr. Klemm explains. "By intercepting certain messenger molecules in the body, these help to lower overall inflammation."