Dr. Mohammad Khudadah — Consultant Rheumatologist
Before your appointment

Complete your self-assessment.

Answer each question based on how you felt over the past week. Print or screenshot and bring it to your appointment. Your doctor will add your CRP result and calculate your ASDAS score in clinic.

How to use the sliders

0 = Perfect — no symptoms at all. 10 = The worst imaginable. Drag the slider to the number that best describes your past week.

1. Back pain
How severe was your spinal pain on average over the last week?
0 — Perfect010 — Worst
2. Joint pain (outside the spine)
Knees, hips, shoulders, ankles, heels. Score 0 if none.
0 — Perfect010 — Worst
3. Morning stiffness — duration
How long does your morning stiffness typically last? Colour indicates severity.
4. Night symptoms
Did you wake up in the second half of the night because of back pain?
5. Overall disease activity
How active was your condition overall during the last week?
0 — Perfect010 — Worst

Your doctor completes the ASDAS score in clinic using your CRP result. Bring this to Al Seef Hospital.

!

Seek urgent help immediately

Do not wait for a routine appointment — book now for urgent review.

Sudden red, painful eye

Could be acute uveitis — see an ophthalmologist within 24 hours

Weakness or numbness in legs

Alongside back pain — urgent spinal assessment needed

Loss of bladder or bowel control

Requires immediate medical attention — book urgent review now

Severe back pain with fever

May indicate spinal infection or fracture — do not wait

Trauma to the spine

Even minor injury in established axSpA can cause serious fracture

Sudden severe increase in pain

Unexplained sharp worsening — seek urgent review

2–6
Years average diagnostic delay
45
Typical age of onset or younger
40%
Have an associated condition outside the spine
"It's not ordinary back pain. It's rheumatic inflammation."
Inflammatory Back Disease

What is this condition?

التهاب المحور الفقاري (axSpA) مرض التهابي مزمن يصيب العمود الفقري والمفاصل التي تربطه بالحوض. هو مرتبط بجهاز المناعة — وليس بالتقدم في العمر أو التآكل.

يبدأ في الغالب قبل سن 45، وكثير من المرضى ينتظرون سنوات قبل تشخيص صحيح، لأن الأعراض تشبه ألم الظهر العادي.

مع التشخيص الصحيح والعلاج المناسب، معظم المرضى يحققون تحسناً ملحوظاً ويحافظون على حياة نشطة كاملة.

What you can do — starting today

Your daily habits are as important as your medication.

Keep Moving

Inactivity worsens this condition. Daily spinal mobility and aerobic exercise reduce stiffness.

Physiotherapy

Supervised physiotherapy is proven more effective than home exercises alone.

Don't Stop Medication

Feeling better means it is working — not that you can stop. Always consult your doctor.

No Smoking

Smoking accelerates spinal damage and reduces how well treatments work.

Diet & lifestyle

No specific diet treats axial SpA — but anti-inflammatory habits support your treatment.

Green — do more of this
Vegetables, fruit, whole grains, lean protein and fish
Plenty of water — 2 litres daily minimum
Regular low-impact exercise — walking, swimming, cycling
Maintain a healthy weight
Red — significantly limit
Processed foods and refined sugar
Excess red meat
Fizzy drinks and concentrated juices — مشروبات غازية وعصائر مركّزة
Smoking — directly worsens disease progression
Personalised Diet Programme
Book your consultation to receive a personalised diet and lifestyle plan tailored to your condition.
Book Now at drkhudadah.com

What to expect at your appointment

1

Detailed history

When pain started, what makes it better or worse, whether it affects sleep

2

Clinical examination

Spine movement, sacroiliac joints, peripheral joints, enthesis points

3

Blood tests

HLA-B27, CRP, ESR and full blood count when indicated

4

Advanced MRI if needed

State-of-the-art protocol — finds sacroiliac inflammation that X-rays miss

5

Diagnosis and care plan

Clear diagnosis and personalised management plan — usually in the same visit

Book your rehabilitation, diet & exercise programme

Our integrated programme at Al Seef Hospital combines rheumatology, physiotherapy, and nutrition — designed for patients with inflammatory back conditions.

Book Now at drkhudadah.com 1881122 Al Seef Hospital · Salmiya, Kuwait · Saturday to Tuesday