Dr L.E.McGuigan

Ankylosing Spondylitis is an inflammatory condition of the back that usually affects young men much more than women. Although it is not common it is very important that it is recognized as it causes really severe pain and stiffness that can be improved with appropriate treatment. The stiffness in this condition usually occurs at night and in the morning whereas most people who suffer with the much more common degenerative back pain improve when they rest and lie down. The condition tends to cluster in families and in severe cases can cause the back to be bent forward and very stiff. Early recognition and treatment with biological agents has dramatically improved prognosis.