Health encyclopaedia

Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List

Diagnosis of Ankylosing spondylitis

Diagnosis is based on the pain, stiffness and progressive decrease in the range of spinal movements. Your GP may refer you to a rheumatologist, (a doctor specialising in arthritis), who will study X-rays of your spine and look for characteristic changes to the joints in the lower back.

A blood sample can also be taken to test for other possibilities such as rheumatoid arthritis, and for the HLA-B27 antigen.

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