Do I have AS?

[JIMCHEE]

I have had back and neck pain for years - getting progressively worse.  MRI's showed 3 bulging discs in my cervical spine, 2 small discs in my Lumbar spine and just this week they discovered a severe disc in my Dorsal spine D5-D6 that is pressing on my spinal cord.   I have the HLA-B27 antigen marker.  I have asked my family Dr. if I could have Ankylosing Spondylitis, but he says he is sure that I don't.   I am 55.   I can't believe that I don't have AS with that many spontaneous discs at my age.  I also have developed quite an annoying and noticible tremor in just my left hand (thumb and index finger - getting worse each month).   Any thoughts on my condition or where I could turn for help would be much appreciated.

J

[JIMCHEE]

Thanks for responding.   I am going to a neuro next week for the D5-D6 disc which is centrally pressing on my spinal cord.  I continue to have constant pain issues in the area of my right piriformis surgery and I think my GP may think this newly found disc may be the culprit but in all my testing and care provided by two professors of neuro & orthopedic surgery, none have ever intimated that a thoracic disc could be a source of my sciatic pain.   Everything I have read states that at thhis level , pain, is resricted to the upper chest, shoulders, scapulae, etc.   I do have episode of bi-lateral scapual pain.   I am getting sick and tired of my back/spine issues and everyones theory on which disc is causing what pain.   I would think the world renowned Doc who operated on me at the Cleveland Clinic would know his business.

Thanks for writing.  JC

[txsilver]

Hi, I have AS but do not have the HLA B27 marker.  Many with it do not develop AS or any of the other spondylotharapies.  You certainly do have a lot of things going on with your spine!  Did your doctor run lab work on you?  Is that how you found out you are HLA B27 positive?  Did anything else come back in your lab work?  Do you have pain that gets better with exercise or better with rest?  What kind of doctor are you seeing?