Rheumatism isn't just a disease that strikes the elderly. On World Rheumatism Day, rheumatologist Dr. Klemm explains which sort of rheumatism affects younger people. Many people think of rheumatism as a disease that affects people as they get older. Rheumatism, on the other hand, manifests itself in a variety of ways and affects people of all ages: "It is a prevalent misconception that rheumatism only affects the old. Rheumatism can affect people of all ages. Ankylosing spondylitis, also known as axial spondyloarthritis, is a kind of rheumatism that typically affects adults in their 20s and 40s "According to Dr. Philipp Klemm of Bad Nauheim's Kerckhoff Clinic's Rheumatism Center.
When your back hurts but you don't think it's because of a disc
Bekhterev's disease is an inflammatory rheumatic disease affecting the pelvic vertebrae primarily. This creates discomfort that is commonly misdiagnosed at first as lumbago or disc issues. "The predominant symptom is a deep-seated backache in the lumbar spine-pelvic area that develops before the age of 45, is more severe at night-early in the morning, and improves with exercise," the rheumatologist explains. Another common symptom is morning stiffness, which occurs when the back remains stiff and inflexible for at least 30 minutes after waking up; however, with movement, this improves. "Unfortunately, it takes a long time to detect the sickness on average. This is due to the fact that younger patients do not correlate inflammation with their symptoms at first. As a result, I strongly encourage anyone who is suffering.
Treatment that is effective reduces long-term damage and improves the quality of life.
However, the correct diagnosis is required before the appropriate treatment can be administered: "After taking the patient's medical history and inspecting the patient, a blood test can assist in clarifying whether there is a genetic tendency, which is the case in roughly 90% of those affected," says the rheumatism expert. While X-rays can reveal inflammatory changes in the vertebrae as the disease progresses, this is not the case in the early stages: "In these instances, magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI for short, provides the confirmation."
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."