Can you improve axial SpA (AS) outcomes?

Many people with axial spondyloarthritis (anlylosing spondylitis) or axial SpA (AS) as it's known, have had to wait years to get a diagnosis (the average time until diagnosis in the UK is 8.5 years), but once you have a diagnosis - what then?

The progression of the disease is different for everyone - it can affect people in very different ways, and the severity of the symptoms may vary over time, depending on a wide range of factors. The widely adopted Bath Indices are a set of measurements used to monitor the state of axial SpA (AS). They consist of series of questions which are answered on a scale of 0 - 10, to indicate the impact of axial SpA (AS) in the past week.

Fortunately, there are several treatments now available, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), biologic therapies and biosimilars (source: National Institue for Clinical Excellence https://bnf.nice.org.uk/treatment-summary/spondyloarthritis.html). Leading an active lifestyle, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle are also factors in improving outcomes for this disease, as indeed they are for most other health conditions.

Most people with axial SpA (AS) will be under the care of a rheumatology department, usually as outpatients. There can be a significant amount of time between appointments, and it is crucially important that when those appointments come round, an accurate picture is relayed to your healthcare professional, in order to give a true representation of the impact of the condition, not just over the last week, but the last 6 months, or the last year. An accurate picture of the impact of your symptoms gives your healthcare professional the information they need to take the most appropriate clinical action.

Our platform gives you the tools to accurately track the impact of your condition and have that data at your fingertips at the time you need it most, using measures that both people with axial SpA (AS) and their healthcare professionals will understand.

My Health PA's easy to use BASFI and BASDAI trackers allow you to keep tabs on how your Axial Spondyloathritis is affecting you using standard, validated tracking metrics that rheumatology healthcare professionals will know and understand.

Used to measure the severity of axial SpA (AS) for many years now, the trackers work equally as well on a mobile device as on a laptop or desktop computer, so you're able to keep track on the go. Simply tap or drag the slider for each question to your desired answer, then view your average BASFI and BASDAI scores for the past year by clicking the Scores link. Repeat as often as you're able; daily, weekly or monthly, but remember - the more often the scores are recorded, the more accurate the picture you build up.

Fatigue is a major symptom of axial SpA (AS), and several questions in the BASDAI and BASFI questionnaires are specifically about fatigue and tiredness. We have taken that a step further and created a Sleep and Fatigue Tracker. Tracking the amount and quality of sleep can be a strong indicator of how much impact your condition is having on you and being able to keep data on that, and communicate that at your next appointment could be crucial in helping your healthcare professionals give you the most appropriate help.

Other factors can have a huge bearing on the the severity of symptoms in people with axial SpA (AS), such as weight, exercise, and a diet. People have shown improvement in their symptoms when doing more exercise, as evidenced by studies showing an improvement in BASDAI scores over a 3 to 12 week period .

You can use our Activity & Exercise tracker to record your own activity and look for changes in your BASDAI and BASFI scores over time. There are also factors such as fatigue which are commonly associated with the condition. We have trackers for these which you can use to complement the BASFI and BASDI trackers above.