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Some reviews state that a strong and early response to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) helps differentiate axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA; long known as ankylosing spondylitis) from other forms of low back pain. This belief was tested in a prospective study of 233 adults with axSpA (29% of patients), nonspecific chronic back pain (25%), or degenerative back pain (46%); mean age was ≈45, and mean duration of symptoms was 15 years. Experienced rheumatologists classified patients into these three groups based on clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings. Patients were excluded if they had used maximal NSAID doses in the prior year. All patients discontinued all NSAIDs for at least 48 hours and then were started on a maximal-dose…