The Axial Spondyloarthritis clinic is for patients with all types of spondyloarthritis (a term for several inflammatory diseases that primarily affect the spine but also other joints).
What we do
The conditions we deal with include:
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Psoriatic Arthritis
- Arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease (also called Enteropathic Arthritis)
- Adults whose arthritis has developed from childhood arthritis.
These conditions can affect people of different ages with symptoms sometimes starting as early as in the teens and twenties. These conditions can cause inflammation both in peripheral joints- both small and large, as well as in the spine. While some patients may have very mild symptoms, others can have more severe symptoms that can impact both quality of life as well as ability to work. Our main job is to ensure that the risks and benefits of medication are carefully balanced and we offer the right treatment depending on the severity of symptoms in each patient.
These conditions can co-exist with other conditions such as inflammation of the bowel or in the eye as well as skin psoriasis. In these specialist areas, we can recognise when treatment for one part of the condition might aggravate other aspects of the disease, and we work with other healthcare specialists to manage this as and when necessary, to ensure that we select treatments which will help with multiple conditions simultaneously if possible.
These conditions can flare from time to time and we hence ensure that patients can assess to our helpline for additional care as needed during disease flares.
Treatment decisions & follow up support
Patients face challenging decisions about treatment, and our experience helps us to advise patients about their options.
We follow NICE guidance for the use of biologic therapies and have a large number of patients taking these drugs with all the recommended follow-up and precautions, with excellent results.
We provide expert specialist care and hold combined clinics with specialist colleagues in dermatology and gastroenterology. We also have a dedicated radiology MDT to review imaging and support clinical decision making.
The clinical service is run by consultants with a specialist interest (see list below) and supported by specialist nurses, an extended scope physiotherapist and specialist occupational therapist.
After an induction programme patients with spondyloarthritis can refer themselves to our specialist outpatient Physiotherapy Department.
Here they can access the full range of physiotherapy facilities, including hydrotherapy.
We also liaise with physiotherapists in the community in the Tyneside Integrated Musculoskeletal service.
Research
Patients who attend the service can also be involved in research studies about their condition. For example, we are a recruiter for the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for Psoriatic arthritis as well as the British Axial Spondyloarthritis Inception cohort . Over the years, we have enabled patients to take part in clinical trials of new biologic medications, educational research projects and genetic studies.
GP/Primary care referral advice
Referrals are welcome from GPs, specialists and rheumatologists from across the region.
Please see information to support referral decision making here : https://www.spadetool.co.uk/ and https://www.actonaxialspa.com/symptoms-checker/
We are happy also to answer any referral questions via Advice and Guidance.
