Patients with chronic back pain caused by inflammation should be screened for ankylosing spondylitis. That is because inflammatory back pain is an early sign of ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis that affects the spine. Early diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis gives patients a better chance at controlling pain and slowing joint damage. Because inflammatory back pain is an early sign of ankylosing spondylitis, it could be used to diagnose this painful form of inflammatory arthritis. Source — Daily Rx