Early diagnosis is important in every form of arthritis so that proper treatment can be undertaken to control the pain and stiffness and thus reduce or prevent the chances of deformity. There is as yet no absolute certainty, but there is a strong genetic link. It is most common among males between the ages of 16 and 33. It is much rarer among black skinned people than white. Common early symptoms of AS include hip and low back pain and stiffness which persists beyond three months.
Stiffness is especially common in the morning.
An early visit to a general practitioner is important in planning ways to control arthritis. It may occur on its own or may be associated with other disorders. These are the skin disease psoriasis, or Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, which are diseases in which the bowel becomes inflamed and reactive arthritis or Reiter's syndrome, which is an arthritis that can occur after bowel or genital infection. The reason for this is that the disease comes on very gradually and the x-ray changes in the sacroiliac joint considered necessary to make an early diagnosis may take several years to develop. There are several important features, however, that are helpful.