Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffThe signs and symptoms you experience depend on which part of your body is affected by diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. The upper portion of your back (thoracic spine) is most commonly affected. Signs and symptoms may include:
- Stiffness. Stiffness may be most noticeable in the morning.
- Pain. You may feel pain when someone presses on the affected area. Not everyone with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis experiences pain.
- Loss of range of motion. Loss of lateral range of motion may be most noticeable. You flex your spine laterally when you do side stretches, for example.
- Difficulty swallowing or a hoarse voice. You may experience these symptoms if you have diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis in your neck (cervical spine).
When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have persistent pain or stiffness in any joint or in your back.
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- Chang-Miller A (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 18, 2010.

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