A man from South London who endured severe back and joint pain from the age of 15 was finally diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis 11 years later, after being wrongly told his pain was due to one leg being shorter than the other or a sports injury.
Long Road to Diagnosis
Arthur Reynolds, 29, began experiencing persistent chest pain at age 15, which doctors initially attributed to playing rugby. After an X-ray showed no abnormalities, he was advised to rest. Arthur, who lives in Kennington with his partner Danni, 29, stopped playing sport and took anti-inflammatories, but his symptoms worsened over the years.
By age 18, he was unable to exercise due to severe lower back pain. This continued into his university years, affecting his studies, social life, and mental health. He admitted turning to alcohol to cope with the pain. “I had a lot of anxiety about it. I didn't want to see friends after work or at weekends, and I thought it was going to last forever,” he said.
Misleading Explanations
In 2023, he consulted a chiropractor and an osteopath, but they offered “ridiculous explanations,” such as having one leg shorter than the other. A private MRI in late 2023 finally revealed inflammation, leading to a diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis – a form of inflammatory arthritis. Treatment with biological medication significantly improved his condition.
Arthur described his life as “transformed.” He can now socialise more easily, sleep through the night, and his mental health has improved. To raise awareness, he plans to climb eight peaks in eight days across Wales in September for the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society.
Early Symptoms Ignored
At 15, Arthur experienced persistent chest pain that “never shifted.” A GP X-ray showed no broken bones, and he was told he had “nothing to worry about.” Doctors advised rest from rugby, but despite taking anti-inflammatories and seven months off exercise, his condition did not improve.
By 18, he developed severe lower back pain that prevented any exercise. Studying at the University of York, he struggled to sit through lectures. “I had to wriggle around in my seat all the time to try to get comfortable,” he said. The pain affected his social life, leading him to drink more to cope, which only worsened the pain the next day.
Further Missteps
After graduating and starting an office job in 2018, his pain became unbearable due to sitting all day. In 2021, he was prescribed painkillers and referred to a physiotherapist. Out of desperation, he arranged a private scan that showed disc damage. A physiotherapist suggested he find a job that didn’t involve sitting.
In 2022, a genetic test showed he did not carry a marker for inflammatory conditions. He received a cortisol injection and saw a chiropractor and osteopath, who offered explanations like a shorter leg or an extra vertebra. Four more spinal scans showed damaged discs but “nothing out of the ordinary.”
Finally, a Diagnosis
In 2023, an NHS pain management session ended with a physiotherapist telling him nothing was wrong and to lift weights. “I couldn’t do that. I was gutted – I just went home and cried,” Arthur said. Later that year, a private MRI showed inflammation, and a consultant diagnosed axial spondyloarthritis. Biological medication has helped significantly.
Arthur is now preparing for his eight-day climbing challenge to raise awareness and funds for the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society, which notes that diagnosis takes an average of eight years. “It won’t be easy, but I’m quite a competitive person,” he added.
