Ankylosing spondylitis (Bechterew’s disease) is a chronic inflammation of the spine that over time leads to complete immobility of the affected intervertebral joints.
The disease begins at a young age, and its early stages are treated with conservative methods. When the condition reaches an advanced stage, a person may need surgery to avoid disability.
You can undergo your ankylosing spondylitis treatment in Germany. You can find the prices for procedures and surgical interventions in specialized clinics on the Booking Health website.
Diagnostics
The disease can be diagnosed on the basis of clinical and radiological features. The presence of radiological features of sacroiliitis is considered to be a prerequisite for making a diagnosis. At least four of the five listed features must also be present:
- stiffness and pain in the sacral region, disturbing a patient during the last 3 months;
- inflammation of the iris of the eye;
- limited chest movement during breathing;
- limited lumbar spine mobility;
- stiffness and pain in the chest.
Conservative treatment
Treatment of ankylosing spondylitis continues constantly, as it is a chronic and incurable disease. In many patients, not only the spine is affected, but also the joints, eyes, kidneys, heart and other organs.
The disease is treated with both drug and non-drug methods.
Regular exercise and postural training are advised, as well as physiotherapy, shock wave therapy, massage, and manual therapy. All the above-mentioned methods help to maintain the mobility of the spine and muscle tone, and also relieve a person from pain.
Pharmacotherapy includes the use of drugs from the following groups:
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- glucocorticoids;
- tumor necrosis factor inhibitors;
- interleukin inhibitors;
- Janus kinase inhibitors.
Surgical interventions
Ankylosing spondylitis may cause complications such as vertebral body fractures, spinal column immobility, and deformities. Hip arthrosis may also develop as a complication of ankylosing spondylitis. The lumbosacral spine is usually involved first in the pathological process, then the thoracic and cervical.
These patients require surgery to stabilize the spine and relieve pain. High-quality surgical treatment in Germany will allow you to return to work and normal life in the shortest possible time.
German spinal surgeons use wedge resection of the vertebrae, dorsal fixation, or osteosynthesis. They can also perform neck angle correction or lumbar spine angle correction whenever required. Some patients have to undergo hip arthroplasty due to the development of arthrosis. Surgeons at the German hospitals perform all interventions using minimally invasive techniques.
You can go to Germany to get help for ankylosing spondylitis. German hospitals use the latest drugs and techniques, and operations are performed by experienced specialists with the use of minimally traumatic techniques, followed by full rehabilitation and a quick return to normal life.
You are welcome to use the Booking Health service to find the cost of treatment in the best clinics in Germany. Our employees will help you to choose a medical center specializing in ankylosing spondylitis treatment and organize your trip. Prices for medical services abroad will be reduced for you due to the absence of additional fees for foreign patients.
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