AS Overview :

AS is an arthritis-family disease involving painful, inflamed and stiff skeletal joints, primarily affecting the spine but sometimes affecting peripheral joints too, and with a tendency to lead to a degree of fusion of those joints. Sufferers can become quite stooped if they're not lucky and careful. There are also a number of "fellow-traveller" symptoms and conditions that sufferers can be prone to develop along with the AS.

There is no "cure" as yet, but there are a number of drug treatments which help some patients to some degree. Most patients will find some benefit from one drug or another, but complete remission of symptoms is rare. More importantly with the current state of the art, physiotherapy & hydrotherapy - or exercise & swimming - provide significant benefit for almost all patients, and can help many live an effectively unfettered life. Doing something about it : Because we're all lazier about getting enough exercise than we should be (go on - admit it), local NASS groups are focused largely around promoting group exercise sessions in an encouraging atmosphere. North Bristol NASS is no exception. If you have AS and are in our area, come along to our weekly exercise sessions - you'll be glad you did.

HLA-B27 And AS The disease is an auto-immune disease (the body attacks itself), and the precise mechanisms are still not fully understood. A large proportion (~95%) of people with AS carry a particular gene marker known as HLA-B27 - much larger than the proportion of the general population who carry this marker. However some people with the marker don't go on to develop AS, and some people without the marker do develop AS. Many people infer from this that there must also be an environmental factor involved with AS.

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