Traditional Chinese Medicine Combined With Standard Care for Spine Arthritis

This research study is looking at how combining traditional Chinese medicine with standard Western medical treatment affects ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis that primarily affects the spine. Researchers will follow about 210 people over two years, comparing those who receive traditional Chinese medicine alongside their regular care with those who receive only standard Western treatment. The study will measure changes in the spine using special imaging scores to see if the combined approach slows disease progression.

Ankylosing spondylitis can cause progressive stiffness and damage to the spine, and current treatments don't work the same way for everyone. This study wants to understand whether adding traditional Chinese medicine to standard care might help slow or reduce this progression in ways that standard treatment alone cannot.