Living with back pain can be very limiting. You may avoid activities you used to love, or you may have a hard time carrying out basic, everyday activities. Because back pain is so common, many people just try to “push through” the pain — but seeking treatment can drastically improve your quality of life.
Furthermore, if you have an inflammatory cause of back pain like non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA), treatment is crucial. Untreated, this inflammatory arthritis that affects the spine can progress or lead to complications. In fact, nr-axSpA can be an early-stage ankylosing spondylitis, which is when the spine can fuse together and become immobile.
Magdalena Cadet, MD, is a board-certified Rheumatologist in New York. She specializes in autoimmune diseases, arthritis, and health conditions that disproportionately affect women and minorities.
References
Slobodin, G, et al. (2015). Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis. Israel Medical Association Journal.
Robinson, P, et al. (2019). Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA): Advances in Classification, Imaging and Therapy. Rheumatology and Therapy.
UpToDate. (2023). Treatment of axial spondyloarthritis (ankylosing spondylitis and nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis) in adults.
Why trust our experts?
