Spodyloarthropathies are also known as "spondylarthritis", "Sero-negative arthritis", and "Sero-negative spondyloarthropathy". These are a group of inflammatory arthritis that can cause joint pain and stiffness in not only the upper and lower extremities but also pain and stiffness in the neck, upper and lower back.

Spondyloarthropathies can occur at any age. They often cause joint pain, localized or diffuse ( all over ) stiffness, recurrent tendonitis, recurrent bursitis, heel pain, recurrent bouts of low back pain ( "hip pain" or "buttock pain" as described by patients), neck pain, and fatigue. Most patients, although not all, are stiff in the morning and become stiff with rest but tend to loosen up with activity. Patients with these conditions usually notice a change in their pain and stiffness with the weather conditions.

In more severe cases or cases that are left untreated, patients often develop more steady pain, longer periods of stiffness, profound fatigue, headache, and difficulty with concentration and sleep at night. Some may have to get out of bed in the middle of the night and walk around the room to relieve the pain and or stiffness that develops when they sleep.

Although very common, they often go undiagnosed for many years ( average 10 years in our database ). The reason for such a long delay is the absence of specific tests to diagnose these conditions ( this is why these conditions  are classified as seronegative or conditions with negative serology or negative tests) and possibly the unfamiliarity of some physicians with Spondyloarthropathies.

As a result patients are often diagnosed with conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, chronic back pain, chronic neck pain, recurrent tendonitis or bursitis, heel spur, chronic pain syndrome, osteoporosis, Fibromyalgia, recurrent back strain, "arthritis", "pulled muscle or tendon", degenerative joint disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, degenerative disc disease, sciatica, depression, scoliosis, lyme disease (despite negative tests), back or neck arthritis (based on changes seen on x-rays), old age, and being overweight among others.

Many of the patients are often seen by a number of different physicians before they are seen by a rheumatologist (specialist for Arthritis and Osteoporosis) who makes the proper diagnosis.

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