Inflammatory back pain features, morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes that improves with activity, is classic. Which option describes this?

• A. Morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes that improves with activity
• B. Morning stiffness less than 15 minutes
• C. Pain worse with rest
• D. Acute localized back pain after trauma

Answer: (A)

Inflammatory back pain shows prolonged morning stiffness that improves with movement and activity. Morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes is the classic clue, reflecting inflammatory processes in the spine that ease with exercise and use. This pattern is typical of axial spondyloarthritis and helps distinguish it from mechanical back pain, which usually has short morning stiffness and does not improve as you move. The other statements are less characteristic: very short morning stiffness points toward mechanical pain; pain that is worse with rest can occur in various conditions but lacks the specific inflammatory timing and response to activity; and acute localized pain after trauma suggests a different, non-inflammatory cause.