Neuropathic Spinal Pain Descriptors in Ankylosing Spondylitis

Descriptors of Neuropathic Spinal Pain and Their Relations With Functional Status in Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients

The investigators have aimed to explore and interpret the neuropathic pain (NP) descriptors of spinal pain in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). For this purpose they have attempted to initiate a prospective, cross-sectional study with AS patients.

NP descriptors have been investigated in several pain syndromes such as post-herpetic neuralgia, post-surgical nerve trauma, peripheral diabetic neuropathy and low back pain. But there is no study examining descriptors of inflammatory spinal pain with or without neuropathic characteristics seen in AS. To date, only one study reported distribution of sensory descriptors in neuropathic and non-neuropathic pain (nonNP) in AS patients, but in this paper the painful region was not specified and the results related to sensory descriptors were not discussed. Therefore, investigators have aimed to explore and interpret the sensory descriptors of inflammatory spinal pain in patients with AS. For this purpose investigators have attempted to initiate a study investigating whether sensory descriptors in neuropathic pain (NP) are differ from those seen in non-neuropathic pain (nonNP).

The aims of this study are;

1. To determine NP descriptors that associated with spinal pain in ankylosing spondylitis patients
2. To compare the patients with and without NP with respect to sensory descriptors
3. To evaluate the relation between neuropathic pain (NP) descriptors and functional status

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being diagnosed with AS according to the Modified NewYork Criteria
• Visual Analogue Scale spinal pain score ≥ 3

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Diabetes mellitus, renal insufficiency, hypothyroidism
2. Postherpetic neuralgia, spinal cord compression
3. Being diagnosed as fibromyalgia in the last month or widespread pain indicating fibromyalgia
4. Malignancy
5. Pregnancy
6. Severe cardiac disease
7. In the last three months medical treatment leading to neuropathy (colchicine etc.)
8. In the last three months drug use for the treatment of fibromyalgia, depression or anxiety