The impact of inflammatory bowel diseases and ankylosing spondylitis on patients' functionality and quality of life - a point of view

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and Ankylosing Spondylis (AS) are chronic disabling conditions characterized by pain, physical suffering and impaired quality of life. The most frequent extraintestinal manifestation in IBD is the musculoskeletal involvement due to the common inflammatory pathways in joint and gut inflammation. A lot of clinical trials demonstrated the fact that both IBD or AS separately, or the association between this disorders, have a big socio-economic impact for the patient and the society. Disability refers mainly at the degree of inflammatory activity which determine stiffness, pain, sleeping disorders and fatigue. Considering AS, bony ankylosis is a very important trigger for a decreased quality of life due to the progressive loss of spinal mobility. These items have a significant impact on the quality of life and health status of patients and cause issues in physical and psychological wellbeing as well as in social life. Besides the objective aspects included in the quantification of quality of life, should not be overlooked the subjective ones like personal perceiving and interpreting of health and disease. Patients' quality of life should be the first priority for doctors in treating these disorders.