When your back hurts, everything hurts.

When your back hurts, everything hurts.

Dr. Melvin A. Churchill discusses ankylosing spondylitis, a connective tissue disease that starts with inflammation and can lead to fusion of the spine. In addition to back pain, 42 percent of sufferers have other symptoms such as arthritis or psoriasis. A protein called HLA-B27 is a genetic marker present in 95 percent of Caucasians with ankylosing spondylitis.

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