Has anyone tried Lidocaine shots into the trigger points in muscles in the back? I had my first round and felt much better but it only lasted about 3 weeks.

My 24 year old son was diagnosed with AS since his first uveitis flare at the age of 11. He has been taking a nsaid since his diagnosis. He really has been fine until COVID. He stopped his meds for about a year or so for fear it will lower his immunity during COVID. Big mistake. Even though he's back on his meds three times a day his condition has worsened. He has stiffness in the morning when he normally didn't, his posture has been affected and it's not unusual for him to experience fatigue… read more

I’m scheduled for low back surgery next week and I’m so scared. Will it make a difference with the spondylitis? I have arthritis in my spine and the lower spine has gotten worse. The surgeon said that my lower spine ( the holes beside it and L9
was closed ; I’m sorry that I don’t know what they are called!) He said he can help with the pain but not take it completely away. Has anyone had this experience or can tell me what my odds are for surgery for someone with AS?

I love to hear the successes, even what some people think are too small for anyone to be interested. They are ALL inspirational to me. No one on this and other forums about lifelong suffering has anything easy about their life. Every day is a triumph over death. Why not share more triumph? Venting is good, but probably better and more appropriately done with a paid therapist trained at handling it. Lashing out at strangers for sharing a win over chronic disease perpetuates the misery. I don't… read more

Yesterday I had an ESR 8 test that was high off the chart high, and if you read my ct and MRI scans they all say degenerative disc, spondylosis, are present. I have had so many bone spurs down my spine I'm having problems with my neck again but I really don't want a 3rd surgery on my neck. No one seems to want to help me because they all say there is nothing they can do....now I'm having this problem with my eye and my eye doc has given me meds but says this will continue unless I get my… read more

I started having some numbness and tingling in my right shoulder, down the arm and into the hand. This is 2nd time in a week it has happened. I can still move it, still feel like normal, no pain, no other symptoms (other than panic/anxiety thinking it might be a stroke) I mentioned it to my rheumatologist when i saw her last week and she said its probably a nerve as the other time happened when i was driving for a couple of hours..

Has something like this happened to anyone else?

I cannot stand on my feet an longer than 15-20 minutes before they are absolutely killing me. My diagnosis are AS, Fibromyalgia, sjogrens, Raynauds, and neuropathy. I hear how people describe neuropathy as pins and needles but I don’t have that. I never know how to explain it but my feet just hurt and the longer I’m on them the more swollen and red and hot they become. I have to literally plan each day around my feet, meaning I have to decide what hideous shoes to wear for the day, to making… read more