Posture in Advanced Ankylosing Spondylitis

Pictures of a man with normal posture and with the posture of advanced ankylosing spondylitis

As severe ankylosing spondylitis advances:

The head moves forward and the neck becomes stiff.
The upper back curves forward (kyphosis).
The normal curve in the low back flattens.
The hips may become stiff and not straighten completely.
People often keep their knees bent a little to make up for the changed curves in their back and stiffness in their hips. This bending of the knees causes the body to shift back a little so it's easier to balance and to see straight ahead.

Credits

By	Healthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer	Stanford M. Shoor, MD - Rheumatology
Last Revised	July 28, 2011

By:

Healthwise Staff

Last Revised: July 28, 2011

Medical Review:

Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
Stanford M. Shoor, MD - Rheumatology

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