My Son Has A Stiff Back When He Gets Up in the Morning - Is It Ankylosing Spondylitis?

By Nathan Wei

Ankylosing Spondylitis is one of the more common forms of arthritis affecting about 0.5% of the population. It affects men more often than women in a ratio of about 2.4-5:1. The disease is categorized as a "spondyloarthropathy"… a type of arthritis that preferentially affects the spine. It usually starts in the sacroiliac joints- the joints that join the pelvis to the low back- and spreads upwards to involve the rest of the spine. Peak age of onset is between 15 and 30 years.

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Is Dr. Oz Right About Inversion Tables?

By Janelle Trempe PT, ATC

What is an Inversion Table?

Inversion tables are devices which allow the user to attach his or her feet to the base, tilt backward, and hang upside down. Most inversion tables allow you to adjust the angle of inversion thus you can hang anywhere from a 45 degree angle to being completely perpendicular to the floor.

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Ankylosing Spondylitis: Explanation, Symptoms, and Diagnosis

What Is Ankylosing Spondylitis?

Ankylosing spondylitis is a form of progressive arthritis of the spine which caused by inflammation of the spinal joints. The word "ankylosing" comes from the Greek word ankylos, meaning stiffening of a joint and the word "spondylitis" comes from spondylo which means vertebra. Spondylitis is a general term for inflammation of the spine, its vertebra or other tissues.

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Bed Rest is No Longer the Best Option for Back Pain

Low back pain is one of the most common reasons for consulting a physician. Despite little supporting scientific evidence, bed rest was considered the primary treatment from the late 19th century. What has changed now is how back pain is understood and managed.

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Sciatica Versus Piriformis Syndrome

Sciatica and piriformis syndrome can seem quite similar, particularly in terms of symptoms, and this similarity in how they feel has caused considerable confusion for doctors and patients alike. Some individuals have stated that they are actually the same thing, but despite similarities in symptoms, the underlying causes of the two conditions are different.

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Medial Glute Weakness and Iliotibial Band Tightness

Shortening of the iliotibial band (ITB) has been considered to be associated with low back pain (LBP). It is theorized that ITB tightness in individuals with LBP is a compensatory mechanism following hip abductor muscle weakness. However, no study has clinically examined this theory. The purpose of this study was to investigate the muscle imbalance of hip abductor muscle weakness and ITB tightness in subjects with LBP.

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Sciatica: Causes, Diagnosis, And Treatment

Sciatica is a buttock pain radiating down the back of the thigh and leg and possibly into the calf or foot. Other characteristics of sciatica include varying degrees of weakness in the leg muscles and numbness and/or tingling that radiates down the leg. These symptoms occur because of compression and/or irritation of the sciatic nerve or nerve roots which are forming the sciatic nerve. The areas in the buttock and leg affected by this compression are the areas that the sciatic nerve supplies with messages for normal function. There are many other names for sciatica including lumbosacral radicular syndrome, radiating low back pain, nerve root pain, and nerve root entrapment.

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