僵直性脊椎炎一例病例報告

僵直性脊椎炎為一病程綿延且複雜的疾病，特點為背痛與漸行性的脊椎僵硬，西醫治療多以內科治療為主，使用藥物包括類固醇性抗發炎藥(NSAID)、Sulfasalazine、Methotrexate或其他抗細胞激素等，但因其副作用而使療效往往不如預期，故結合中醫藥治療，或可達到更好的療效。本病例為46歲女性患者，反覆發作已六年，近來頸部、左肩膀、胸椎、腰椎、左髖部、左踝、右手指與右腳趾關節酸痛加重而至本院住院進一步治療，診斷為寒濕痺證，治則以溫陽活血，袪濕通絡止痛，歷經5月21日至5月28日之中藥合併針灸治療後，關節症狀獲得顯著改善。由此可看出中醫綜合治療僵直性脊椎炎之優勢，並為日後相關臨床試驗提供寶貴的研究方向。
Ankylosing Spondylitis is characterized as severe backache and progressive vertebral stiffness. Currently, conventional western medicine therapy mainly depends on medication, such as non-steroid anti-inflammation drugs, Sufasalazine, Methotrexate, or some other cytokine inhibitor. However, in some circumstance, side effects of above drugs limited the curative effects. Therefore, western medicine concurrent with traditional Chinese medicine treatments may achieve better therapeutic goals. A 46-year-old female patient has suffered from recurrent arthritis for six years. She was admitted to our ward due to increasingly painful sensation over her neck, left shoulder, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, left hip, left ankle, right finger and right toe. The diagnosis was cold and dampness impediment and we took the therapeutic principle as warming yang, activating blood, and dispelling dampness to free the collateral vessels and to relieve pain. After 8 days of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture treatments, her symptoms were prominently alleviated. From this case, we discover the advantage of western medicine concurrent with traditional Chinese medicine therapies. This offers a precious direction for future clinical research on treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis.