Spondyloarthritis: chronic inflammatory rheumatological diseases
Symptoms that can be misleading and confused, for example, with a banal back pain; a series of tests, evaluations and treatments not aimed at the problem before the diagnosis and the start of the correct therapeutic path. Lost precious time; a constant in the stories of those suffering from spondyloarthritis with a notable impact on the quality of life.
This is why ‘Passi di SAlute’ was born a project by awareness of spondyloarthritis promoted by Novartiswith the patronage of the main associations of patients with rheumatological diseases, to focus more attention on the pathology in order to reduce the time to diagnosis and limit the serious consequences that months or years of delays can cause.
The protagonist of the Passi di SAlute project is Giorgio, a person with ankylosing spondylitis, a particular form of spondyloarthritis, who will physically and metaphorically cover a path of over 120 km to bring attention to the pathology and demonstrate how a correct therapeutic diagnostic path can lead not only to an improvement in the quality of life but also allow you to carry out great feats such as that of facing long walks with the backpack on your shoulders and having access to wonderful places guarded in the heart of our country.
The walk will take place, in fact, along the “Via Degli Dei”, an ancient military road that connects Bologna to Florence and which takes its name from a series of mountains that characterize it: Monte Adone, Monte Venere and Monte Luario (the goddess of the moon).
But it will also be a metaphorical path through all the “steps” that a person with spondyloarthritis goes through in order to manage the disease and achieve an adequate level of quality of life. A departure that can prove difficult and painful in perceiving and recognizing the first symptoms, sometimes underestimated and confused with other states, to proceed with specialist visits of various kinds and then arrive at a correct diagnosis and adequate therapy. A long journey that often lasts for years and which risks affecting the body and mind if not approached with the correct timing and in the most appropriate way. In short, just like a real journey on the trails.
“The term spondyloarthritis refers to a group of chronic inflammatory rheumatological diseases that mainly involve the spine, but can also extend to peripheral joints of the upper and lower limbs. One of the most important and distinctive symptoms of onset spondyloarthritis is inflammatory back pain with possible involvement of the sacroiliac joints. Patients complain of pain, stiffness, fatigue and a progressive loss of spinal mobility. If not diagnosed and treated early, the disease can lead to progressive reduction of spinal mobility and severe disability, “he said. Roberto Caporali – Director of the Department of Rheumatology and Medical Sciences of the ASST Gaetano Pini-CTO of Milan.
About 1 in 20 people with chronic back pain suffer from axial spondyloarthritis2..
People with chronic back pain may go undiagnosed or minimize the underlying cause of the pain, but there are 2 types of back pain: mechanical and inflammatory2. For back pain patients, it is important to distinguish the etiology of inflammatory pain from that of mechanical pain.2
To suspect axial spondyloarthritis is the inflammatory back pain that often appears before 40 years, it persists 3 or more months, and especially it is accompanied by morning stiffness and pain that improves with movement or exercise3. Symptoms worsen with rest, especially intensifying in the morning or at night4.
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“Back pain is still too often mistakenly confused with age-related pain, when in its inflammatory form it mainly affects young people (more often males) in the midst of working life. In fact, among the problems of patients suffering from inflammatory back pain, the difficulty of reaching a diagnosis represents one of the greatest obstacles and, often, this comes after the disease has already caused irreparable damage. Before reaching the reference rheumatologist, the patient slows down his path to diagnosis by looking for alternative solutions to symptom management. Educating on the correct interpretation of symptoms, on the value of the rheumatologist and increasing the awareness of other professionals and specialists (e.g. physiotherapists, orthopedists, neurosurgeons, GPs but also personal trainers or other people to whom those with back pain can turn) represent key elements in achieving an early diagnosis. ”, he said Carlo Selmi – Head of the Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit in Humanitas, Full Professor of Internal Medicine, Humanitas University of Milan.
It is also important to remember how adequate physical activity can support the success of a drug therapy, in terms of both the management of the disease and the patient’s quality of life, as well as preserving the elasticity of the spine.
Steps of SAlute is an initiative that aims to raise awareness of inflammatory back pain and reduce the time required for the diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis, favoring correct management and early patient care, and is sponsored by the main Patient Associations , ANMAR – National Association of Rheumatic Patients, APMARR– National Association of People with Rheumatological and Rare Diseases, ALOMAR – Lombard Association of Rheumatic Patients, AMRER – Association of Rheumatic Patients Emilia Romagna, ATMAR – Tuscany Association of Rheumatic Patients e THEN – National Observatory on Women’s and Gender Health.