For US Residents
Could AXSPA be in your family tree?
If your quiz results suggested potential symptoms of inflammatory back pain, axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), an inflammatory arthritis of the spine, might be the cause. Similar to other autoimmune conditions, axSpA may run in families.
Talking with your family
Even if no one else in your family has chronic back pain, a history of other autoimmune conditions among close relatives is common in people with axSpA. Up to 40% of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients have a family history of certain conditions. Here are a few questions that may help get the conversation started.
- Has anyone in our immediate family ever had any of these autoimmune conditions?
- Spondyloarthritis
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis
- Acute anterior uveitis
- Reactive arthritis
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Psoriasis
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Spondyloarthritis
- Does anyone in our family have chronic back pain? Or unexplained neck, hip or knee pain? Any other symptoms like stiffness, fatigue or reduced mobility?
- Have any of our family members ever had difficulty getting a diagnosis for their symptoms, or been misdiagnosed?
- Do you know if anyone in our family ever had bloodwork done to screen for inflammation like C-reactive protein (CRP) levels? Or for the HLA-B27 protein? Some people with axSpA may have this marker, but additional tests and examinations are required to confirm the diagnosis. These tests can also help rule out other conditions or diseases.
Hearing your family history might help your rheumatologist discover what’s causing your pain. That’s why it’s important to talk about it with your family.