What is the treatment for non-radiographic spondyloarthritis?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am concerned about my brother. He is 35 years old, and lately, he has been experiencing a lot of back pain that just will not go away. It is strange because he did not injure himself or anything, but the pain seems to come and go, and it is worse in the morning. He went to a specialist who mentioned something about non-radiographic spondyloarthritis. I have never heard of it, and he is not one to delve into medical matters too much either, so we are both kind of confused. It is a type of arthritis, but it did not show up on his X-rays, which I thought was strange. Does that mean it is not as serious, or could it still cause significant issues down the road? He has been really stiff lately and can barely sit for too long without feeling extremely uncomfortable. It is also affecting his mood. He is not as active as he used to be, and I think it is starting to take a mental toll on him.

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and understood your concern.

Based on your symptoms and their duration, it may be either early-stage spondyloarthritis with non-radiographic findings or it may be sciatica. Kindly encourage him to reduce his weight if he is obese and advise him to wear a lumbosacral (LS) belt, which will surely improve his symptoms gradually.

I hope this has helped you.

Kindly follow up if you have more doubts.

Thank you.