Medical Concerns You Should Have About Ulcerative Colitis

Arthritis

Ulcerative colitis may include symptoms outside of the bowel. Arthritis is characterized by inflammation of the joints. It affects approximately twenty-five percent of people with ulcerative colitis, including the young and old. Severity may range from peripheral arthritis, which is characterized by mild joint pain and inflammation, to a debilitating form of arthritis known as ankylosing spondylitis, in which the affected person suffers from extreme loss of flexibility in the low back. Anti-inflammatory prescription medications and physical therapy may help alleviate pain.