Symptoms of Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA)

Spondyloarthritis is an umbrella term for arthritis diseases that primarily affect the spine. Non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) is one type of spondyloarthritis.

The “nr” in nr-axSpA stands for “non-radiographic.” This is one way to differentiate it from another type of arthritis that affects the spine, called ankylosing spondylitis. Non-radiographic is just a fancy way of saying there’s no damage visible on X-rays. By contrast, patients with ankylosing spondylitis will have visible damage to the bone on X-rays. Technically, nr-axSpA can be early-stage ankylosing spondylitis. Symptoms of nr-axSpA vary from person to person, so it’s important to get a proper diagnosis.

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Written by:

Brittany Doohan

Brittany Doohan was the Content Director at HealthiNation and is currently the Editorial Director at Medscape. Through her work with Medscape, she won a Silver Telly Award in May 2022 for "Sleepless Nation: A Public Health Epidemic — Episode 2: A Decade Without a Diagnosis." She has worked in health journalism and video production for more than 8 years, and loves the challenge of explaining complex topics in an easy-to-understand and creative way.

Reviewed by:

Mera Goodman, MD, FAAP

Mera Goodman, MD, FAAP, is a board-certified pediatrician. Prior to practicing medicine, she worked as a management consultant.

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