Ankylosing Spondylitis

|Common Symptoms

Clinical Description:

周身关节不适、窜痛，腰骶脊背拘急僵硬，甚至连及颈项，转侧不利。偏于寒者，遇寒湿天气加重，得温则减，口淡不渴，肢冷，小便不畅，舌淡红，苔白厚，脉弦紧；偏于湿者，肢体关节沉重，肌肤麻木，四肢笨重，活动受限，痛有定处，甚则腰脊冷重，关节活动不便，苔白腻，脉缓

Plain-Language Explanation:

• Discomfort appears in joints throughout the body, with wandering pain.
• The lumbosacral region and spine feel tight, stiff, and uncomfortable.
• It may even affect the neck, causing stiffness and discomfort there.
• Turning or twisting the body is not flexible, and movements are restricted and clumsy.
• When leaning toward cold, symptoms worsen in cold and damp weather.
• When leaning toward cold, discomfort eases with warmth.
• When leaning toward cold, there is a bland taste in the mouth and little desire to drink water.
• When leaning toward cold, the limbs feel cold and there is sensitivity to cold.
• When leaning toward cold, urination is not very smooth.
• When leaning toward cold, the tongue is pale with a reddish tint.
• When leaning toward cold, the tongue coating is white and relatively thick.
• When leaning toward cold, the pulse is wiry and tight.
• When leaning toward dampness, the limbs and joints feel heavy and dragging.
• When leaning toward dampness, the skin may feel numb.
• When leaning toward dampness, the limbs feel clumsy and movements are not agile.
• When leaning toward dampness, movement is restricted and inconvenient.
• When leaning toward dampness, the pain is fixed and does not wander.
• When leaning toward dampness, in severe cases the lower back and spine feel cold and heavy.
• When leaning toward dampness, joint movement is difficult.
• When leaning toward dampness, the tongue coating is white and greasy.
• When leaning toward dampness, the pulse tends to be moderate or slow.

|TCM Approach

Clinical Description:

益肾蠲痹祛风除湿

Plain-Language Explanation:

• Boost the Kidney → Nourish kidney qi/essence, improve soreness and weakness of the lower back and knees, fatigue, cold intolerance, and frequent nighttime urination, while strengthening the bones, sinews, and recovery capacity.
• Eliminate Bi → “Eliminate = remove, Bi = blockage pain”; dispel wind, cold, and dampness that cause obstruction, resolve blockage, and reduce joint soreness, stiffness, and restricted movement.
• Expel wind → Dispel external wind pathogens, relieving wandering pain, achiness, and discomfort aggravated by wind.
• Remove dampness → Resolve internal damp turbidity, reducing heaviness, stickiness, swelling, and joint heaviness.