The key difference between ankylosing spondylitis and cervical spondylosis is that ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the joints of the pelvis and lumbar spine, while cervical spondylosis is a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the joints of spine and neck.
Arthritis is the inflammation or swelling of one or more joints in the body. There are around 10 different medical conditions categorized under arthritis, which affect joints, tissues around the joint, and other connective tissues. Ankylosing spondylitis and cervical spondylosis are two different types of arthritis conditions.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Ankylosing Spondylitis
3. What is Cervical Spondylosis
4. Similarities – Ankylosing Spondylitis and Cervical Spondylosis
5. Ankylosing Spondylitis vs Cervical Spondylosis in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Ankylosing Spondylitis vs Cervical Spondylosis
What is Ankylosing Spondylitis?
Ankylosing spondylitis is a form of arthritis that results in long-term spine inflammation. It causes inflammation in the joints of the pelvis and lumbar spine. Ankylosing spondylitis specifically inflames the sacroiliac joints located between the base of the spine and the pelvis. This leads to sacroiliitis, which is one of the first signs of ankylosing spondylitis. Moreover, approximately between 3 and 13 out of 1,000 Americans are suffering from this condition.
Figure 01: Ankylosing Spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis affects men more than women. The symptoms of this condition may include lower back pain or stiffness in the back, pain in the hip, joint pain, neck pain, breathing difficulties, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, rashes in the skin, and vision problems. Ankylosing spondylitis is caused due to variation in the human leukocyte antigen-B gene (HLA-B). The risk factors for this condition may include having other health conditions such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and psoriasis.
Ankylosing spondylitis can be diagnosed through physical examination, imaging tests (MRI and X-ray), blood tests, and genetic tests. Available treatment options for ankylosing spondylitis are exercise, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (ibuprofen and naproxen), disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), corticosteroids, and surgery.
What is Cervical Spondylosis?
Cervical spondylosis is a condition that causes age-related wear and tear in the cervical spine or neck. It is due to inflammation in the joints of the spine and neck. More than 85% of people over the age of 60 are affected by this condition. By the age of 60, almost 9 in 10 people have this condition. Moreover, this condition starts slightly earlier in men than in women.
Cervical spondylosis is caused by changes in the spine, such as degeneration, herniation, osteoarthritis, and bone spurs. The risk factors for cervical spondylosis include smoking, family history, straining the neck often (painters, plumbers, or flooring installers), neck injury (car accidents), heavy lifting, and being exposed to a lot of vibration (bus or truck drivers). The symptoms of this condition may include neck pain or stiffness, severe soreness in the neck, muscle spasms, a clicking, popping, or grinding sound when moving the neck, dizziness, and headaches.
Figure 02: Cervical Spondylosis
Cervical spondylosis can be diagnosed through physical examination, X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, MRI, myelogram, and electromyogram. Furthermore, treatment options for cervical spondylosis may include physical therapy, ice, heat and massage, oral medications (prescription or over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or naproxen sodium, and muscle relaxants such as cyclobenzaprine), soft collar or brace, steroid injection therapy, and spine surgeries.
What are the Similarities Between Ankylosing Spondylitis and Cervical Spondylosis?
- Ankylosing spondylitis and cervical spondylosis are two different types of arthritis conditions.
- They cause inflammation in the joints.
- Both conditions may affect men more than women.
- They may have similar symptoms, such as pain in the affected joint region, stiffness, etc.
- Both conditions can be diagnosed through physical examination and imaging tests.
- They can be treated through specific medication and surgeries.
What is the Difference Between Ankylosing Spondylitis and Cervical Spondylosis?
Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the joints of the pelvis and lumbar spine, while cervical spondylosis is a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the joints of the spine and neck. Thus, this is the key difference between ankylosing spondylitis and cervical spondylosis. Furthermore, ankylosing spondylitis is caused due to the variation of the human leukocyte antigen-B gene (HLA-B). On the other hand, cervical spondylosis is caused by changes in the spine, such as degeneration, herniation, osteoarthritis, and bone spurs.
The below infographic presents the differences between ankylosing spondylitis and cervical spondylosis in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Ankylosing Spondylitis vs Cervical Spondylosis
Arthritis is a condition that results in the swelling and tenderness of one or more joints. Ankylosing spondylitis and cervical spondylosis are two different types of arthritis conditions. Both conditions may cause pain and stiffness in different regions of the body. However, ankylosing spondylitis causes inflammation in the joints of the pelvis and lumbar spine, while cervical spondylosis causes inflammation in the joints of the spine and neck. So, this summarizes the difference between ankylosing spondylitis and cervical spondylosis.
Reference:
1. “Cervical Spondylosis: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments.” Cleveland Clinic.
2. “Ankylosing Spondylitis.” NHS Choices.
Image Courtesy:
1. “X-ray of cervical spondylosis” By Stillwaterising, crop by Mikael Häggström – Own medical image, work for hire (CC0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Ankylosing spondylitis – x-ray of the spine” By MyArthritis (CC BY-NC 2.0) via Flickr