ankylosing spondylitis

moving me forward™

Your movement may be limited, but your options don't have to be. See how other patients conquered their pain and get started on your own journey to recovery.

Mike "Coach K" Krzyzewski
Inspirational college coach and DePuy joint recipient.

watch a spine pep-talk from Coach Kread Coach K's story

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"It's not worth living with pain."

http://prod.neverst.depuy.edgesuite.net/patients/media/depuy-spine.mp4
http://prod.neverst.depuy.edgesuite.net/patients/media/depuy-spine.mp4
"It's not worth living with pain."

read Coach K's story

"Hi, I'm Mike Krzyzewski, coach of Duke University's Men's Basketball team. If you could take a journey to move better, live better, why wouldn't you? I did when I had joint replacement surgery.

"I'm here to tell you that you have two opponents. Pain and lack of mobility. Pain can get you down every day. Lack of mobility can lead to decreased speed and loss of endurance. With speed and endurance loss, you don't stay competitive and you spend energy just trying to catch up. But you've got to fight your opponents to stay in the game.

"I know it isn't always easy. There was a part of me that thought of stopping, giving up coaching altogether. I would never have won two Olympic team medals and four NCAA Championships if I hadn't had my surgeries.

"Now, I don't have to overcompensate for injury and pain. I'm more active than before, I have relief from pain and I'm even quicker on my feet. People say I look better now. Do you want your life back the way it should be? You have two choices, a continued downward spiral or take action.

"So don't let the injury win. You don't need to live in pain. That's why I want to encourage you to empower yourself. Get educated, develop a personal treatment plan with your doctor, build a team of support and commit to reclaiming your life. Remember, this is a major event in your life—treat it as such. What you put into it will multiply for you at the end of the journey."
 

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overview

Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)A type of progressive arthritis that leads to chronic inflammation of the spine and sacroiliac joints. It can ... is a type of progressive arthritisarthritisJoint inflammation that leads to chronic inflammationinflammationA local response to injury due to a physical reaction (such as abrasion), or to chemical or biological agents,... of the spine and sacroiliac (SI) joints. InflammationInflammationA localized tissue response initiated by the injury or destruction of vascularized tissues. Inflammation Heat,... due to AS can also affect other joints and organs in the body.

 

Lower Spine

AS causes the spine to stiffen. This may result the vertebraevertebraeThe individual bones of the spine are the vertebrae. These are the building blocks of the spinal column. The v... fusing together causing a forward curve in the spine called kyphosiskyphosisThe word "kyphosis" describes a type of curve in the spine. A kyphotic curve is normally present in the thorac....

A healthy spine is able to move in many directions. Movement can become impossible if the ligaments calcify and the bones fuse together. This is why AS can be disabling in its advanced stages.

Often the first sign of AS is inflammation of the sacroiliac joints. This eventually moves to the spine. Long-term inflammation of the spinal joints (called spondylitis) leads to calcium deposits forming in the ligaments around the intervertebral discs (the cushions between spinal vertebrae) and the ligaments that hold the vertebrae together, restricting movement. Eventually there can be a complete fusing together of the vertebrae (called alkalosis).

May 15 2012 - 19:17:49