By Kathryn Dao, MD as told to Kara Mayer Robinson
In recent decades, major advancements have been made in our understanding of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). We now know how to diagnose it and how to manage it better.
Better Diagnosis
We can now diagnose AS earlier because of improved technologies.
Sixty years ago, we diagnosed people based on their symptoms. They were considered to have AS based on a doctor’s exam of their spine and what they told their doctors.
Over the years, we began to consider the role of genes, inflammation in organs other than the spine, and MRI changes not seen on X-rays….
