Whether it’s a dull ache or a sharp stab, back pain is among the
most common of all medical problems. In any three-month period,
about one-fourth of U.S. adults suffer through at least one day
of back pain. Many people lump all back aches and pains together
as a “bad back.” But there are actually many causes for back
pain, including muscle spasms, ruptured disks, back sprains,
osteoarthritis, infections, and tumors. One possible cause that
rarely gets the attention it deserves is ankylosing spondylitis
(AS), a form of arthritis that’s associated with long-term
inflammation of the joints in the spine. If you’ve never heard
of AS, you’re certainly not alone. Yet it’s more prevalent than
you might think. AS is head of a family of diseases—also
including psoriatic arthritis and reactive arthritis—that cause
inflammation in the spine and joints. As many as 2.4 million
U.S. adults have one of these diseases, according to the
National Arthritis Data Workgroup. So maybe it’s time you got to
know AS better. Ankylosing