Questions :
Q: What were your symptoms before you received treatment?
A: I had back pain, a kind of tension, which I thought came from playing football. So, I decided to see a doctor because I thought it was caused by muscle pain. I took pain relievers and muscle relaxants, which helped for a while, but then the pain returned.
Q: How did the pain affect your life or daily activities?
A: It started with tension and pain in the back area, radiating down to the leg. When pressed, it would sharply hurt. I couldn’t walk, which significantly disturbed my daily life.
Q: What was your treatment experience at Bangkok Hospital?
A: When I first came for treatment, I went to the physiotherapy department. I was treated for a year, and the condition improved for a while but then returned. Later, the pain got so severe that I couldn’t sleep and it increased significantly, so I had to sleep on my side and had difficulty getting up. The doctor then asked me to get an MRI, which revealed that I had ankylosing spondylitis. I was referred to the rheumatism department and met Dr. Suraraj
Q: How has your condition been after receiving treatment from the rheumatologist?
A: After meeting Dr. Suraraj , the doctor informed me that this disease is incurable as it was quite advanced in me. So, the doctor prescribed medication to manage the symptoms initially and recommended biologic injections.
Q: How are you doing now after the treatment?
A: Currently, I don’t have much pain, just some tension. I am still taking medication continuously, receiving injections, and stretching muscles periodically. My condition has significantly improved, allowing me to return to my normal life, although I still have to avoid strenuous exercise for now.
Q: A message to those suffering from ankylosing spondylitis
A: If you have been experiencing persistent back pain for a long time that doesn’t go away, and you have sought treatment from many places and many doctors, I recommend consulting or getting checked by a rheumatologist. This can help you get timely treatment and prevent the condition from being an obstacle in your daily life, from pain that interferes with your ability to live fully and prevents you from exercising. Now, after receiving treatment, I’ve improved, can move more freely, and live a fuller life.
Dr. Suraraj Tamronglak is a specialist in rheumatism, and Major Phronsuk Wattanapraditchai
Chronic back pain may be rheumatism
BASDAI assessment form for the flare-up of ankylosing spondylitis
