""The doctors told me I'd just been playing lots of rugby, to have a rest, and then it would get better. However, his condition did not improve.""
""If I was going to be out for a long time, I would keep drinking to take the pain away; of course, I'd wake up the next morning in even worse pain.""
""Despite multiple GP visits, scans and referrals, no clear cause was identified. He was prescribed painkillers, referred to physiotherapy and told at one stage to consider a job that did not involve sitting down.""
""In 2023, after further referrals and inconclusive tests, a private MRI scan finally revealed inflammation. A consultant subsequently diagnosed axial spondyloarthritis.""
A 29-year-old man experienced severe pain for over a decade due to undiagnosed axial spondyloarthritis. Initially, he developed chest pain at 15, which doctors attributed to rugby. By 18, he faced debilitating lower back pain, affecting his university life and social interactions. He increasingly relied on alcohol for relief, worsening his condition. Despite numerous medical consultations and treatments, no clear diagnosis was made until a private MRI in 2023 revealed inflammation, leading to a diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis and appropriate treatment.
#axial-spondyloarthritis #chronic-pain #alcohol-dependence #undiagnosed-conditions #healthcare-challenges
Read at www.bbc.com
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