Symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis

Back pain

The main symptom of AS is back pain. Pain usually starts in the lower back. You may think of it as  mild backache at first. It becomes gradually worse over several months. You may have pain over your buttocks. The buttock pain may be felt sometimes on one side,sometimes on the other side. Coughing may make pain worse. In fact, the pain may wake you from sleep. Instead, exercise and movement usually reduce the pain. (This is the opposite to most of common mechanical backache which may alert a doctor to the diagnosis of AS.) Lying in bed after waking is mostly uncomfortable. The pain tends to ease as the day passes by.If middle chest is affected, then joints between the ribs and the spine may become painful.

Stiff lower spine 

The stiffness can be  first thing each morning. It will improves with activity and exercise, and tends to ease as the day passes on.

Other joint apart from the spine

Stats regarding other joints being affected at some stage in about 4 in 10 cases. The most common joints are the hips, knees, ankles, or shoulders. Affected joints can become painful and stiff. 

Inflammation in tendons and ligaments

Tendons and ligaments in some parts of the body may become inflamed and painful . Common examples are the Achilles tendon, it attaches to the heel and where chest muscles attach to the ribs.

Inflammation of part of the eye

This affects about 1 in 3 people with AS . Tell your doctor urgently if you have AS and develop a painful or red eye. If you develop uveitis, treatment using eye drops should be started as soon as possible after eye symptoms begin. Treatment of uveitis is mostly successful. However, if not treated quickly then it can lead to permanent loss of vision in the eye (partial or complete).

General symptoms

Some people with AS feel generally unwell with symptoms of tiredness or depression. Weight loss or anaemia sometimes occur.

Associated diseases

People with AS have a greater than average chance of developing ulcerative colitis,psoriasis, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and heart problems.


 Note: most people with AS do not get these conditions - it is just that they are more common in people with Ankylosing spondylitis  than would be expected in the general population.