16 TALKBACK DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Delayed diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis can ruin lives Ministers are being urged to support measures to end the 8.5-year delay to diagnosis for people with inflammatory arthritis.
If left untreated, axial SpA can result in significant health issues such as spinal fusion
TALKBACK l WINTER 2020
HEALTH ministers are being urged to support measures that can radically improve the lives of people with axial spondyloarthritis (axial SpA), a painful and progressive form of inflammatory arthritis. Currently, the average delay to diagnosis for this condition is 8.5 years. The National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society (NASS) is working to see the diagnosis delay reduced to just 12 months. Around 1 in 200 adults in the UK live with axial SpA. The condition affects young people, with symptoms often starting in their early teens. If left untreated, it can result in significant health issues such as spinal fusion, as well as damage to joints ligaments, tendons and mental health. NASS proposes concrete steps that would enable thousands of people who are yet to be diagnosed with the condition to get the right care faster: l increase public awareness of axial SpA with a
campaign backed by public health bodies so that people consult a GP or primary care professional as soon as they notice symptoms l provide Clinical Commissioning Groups with a clear and simple inflammatory back pain pathway to ensure swift referrals directly to rheumatology and encourage increased awareness of the condition among GPs and other primary care professionals. Dr Dale Webb, Chief Executive of NASS, said: “Far too many young people wait years for a diagnosis and treatment. This inhibits normal life and risks permanent disabilities. Faster diagnosis, with the right pathways to care, would transform lives and save the economy money. “The Government needs to act now so that the public know about the condition and can seek medical advice at the earliest opportunity and to ensure that primary care professionals identify and refer patients quickly to rheumatology for diagnosis. No-one should be locked out of life because of a delay in getting a diagnosis.” Paul Curry, who lives with axial SpA, said: “I waited for more than 10 years to be diagnosed with axial SpA. While I waited, my spine fused and I gave up any hope of a career in professional sport. When I received a diagnosis, at last I knew the pain was out of my control and could be treated.”
Image: jcomp/freepik
Exercise is the best way to help yourself Regular exercise is the single most important thing you can do to help yourself. The more flexible you are the easier it is to do everyday tasks, and the more mobility you have the easier it is to do things. Exercise can result in less stiffness and pain at night and improve sleep quality. The focus for exercise for people with axial SpA is on improving or maintaining: l r ange of movement in the joints l posture control l muscle strength l muscle length l lung capacity l balance lc ardiovascular fitness. Whipps Cross University Hospital’s Early Inflammatory Back Pain Service, run by Barts Health NHS Trust, has produced a video of specific exercises to help you maintain and improve flexibility and strength. https://nass.co.uk www. whippscrossrheumatology. co.uk
