Acupuncture treatment for ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), or ankylosing spondylitis, is a form of arthritis that mainly affects the spine, although other joints may also be involved. The clinical hallmark of the condition is inflammation of the joints of the spine (at the vertebral level), leading to severe chronic pain and general discomfort. In advanced cases, this inflammation can lead to ankylosis, where sections of the spine fuse into a fixed, immobile position. AS may over time cause inflammation, pain and stiffness in the scapulo-humeral and pelvic girdle joints, then affecting the joints from proximal to distal, due to the specificity of the disease’s evolution, of the centrifugal expressive type. In isolated cases, the eyes (iritis or uveitis), lungs or heart may also be affected. A particular feature of AS is involvement of the sacroiliac joints ….