Back pain crushing your life? Take back control now.
Are you suffering from persistent low back pain? Has it lasted longer than 3 months?
Is the pain crushing your life or shattering your dreams? Back pain keeping you awake at night?
It could be inflammatory back pain like axial spondyloarthritis also known as axial SpA, a condition that affects 220,000 people in the UK.
Take the first step to regaining control over your life by completing this simple symptom checker. It is two minutes that could give you optimism again.
Take the symptom checker now - actonaxialspa.com/symptoms-checker/
What is axial SpA?
Axial SpA is an inflammatory disease of the spine and joints. Inflammation where muscles attach to the bones, causes extreme pain. If left untreated, it can permanently fuse bones together.
It is an invisible and misdiagnosed condition. Often leaving people feeling powerless, in increasing pain and extreme exhaustion.
What are the symptoms?
The main symptoms and characteristics of axial SpA are:
It is also associated with other conditions including acute anterior uveitis (inflamed eyes), psoriasis (skin), and inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis).
Why should I take the symptom checker?
If you think you have axial SpA, it is time to take steps towards getting a diagnosis.
Use the 8-point symptom checker, developed by the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society (NASS) to check if you could have axial SpA. The symptom checker uses internationally recognised screening questions and criteria to show if a person might have axial SpA.
It is easy to complete and in just a couple of minutes you will get an indication if you are likely to have inflammatory back pain like axial SpA or not and get a clear message to take to your GP.
Don’t hesitate take the symptom checker now and join the 20,000 plus others who have already done so at actonaxialspa.com/symptoms-checker/
What happens once I have checked my symptoms?
Once you complete the symptom checker you will receive advice on what to do next. If you score five or higher, you will be advised to visit your GP or other health care professional and get a download you can print out to take with you. The printout advises the GP to refer you directly to your local rheumatology team for a full assessment.
A rheumatologist can confirm your diagnosis of axial SpA, or another condition, based on a range of physical, imaging and blood tests. If diagnosed with axial SpA they will then discuss your initial treatment and help you to manage your condition in the long term. If you do not have axial SpA following the assessment the rheumatologist will advise next steps to your GP.
Already diagnosed with axial SpA?
If you already have a diagnosis, visit the NASS website www.nass.co.uk for information and support, as well as tools for self-management.
About NASS
At NASS we transform the diagnosis and care of people living with axial SpA. Axial SpA works silently. We do not.
About Act on Axial SpA
The Act on Axial SpA campaign aims to drive down the 8.5-year delay to diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis by introducing the world’s first Gold Standard diagnosis time of just one year.
The campaign is led by NASS in partnership with Norfolk & Norwich NHS Foundation Trust and RUH Bath NHS Foundation Trust and funded by UCB (www.ucbpharma.co.uk).