25 February 2013 Last updated at 07:33 ET

An MP says he resorted to mail-order medicine to cope with the debilitating pain he endured from a form of arthritis.

Ogmore MP Huw Irranca-Davies is calling for improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of ankylosing spondylitis.

He tried homeopathic treatments and "vile concoctions involving exotic mushrooms from Russia" in an attempt to deal with the symptoms.

Around 200,000 people in the UK are thought to have the condition.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a form of arthritis that can cause the spine to fuse, but can also affect other parts of the body.

No one had diagnosed any condition for me. So I was trying anything

During a debate in Parliament on Monday, Labour MP Mr Irranca-Davies will reveal how he was diagnosed late in life.

He will describe how he started getting a stiff neck and spine as a badminton player in his youth.

"I just thought it was part of a sporting life. You creak a bit," he says.

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MP resorted to mail-order medicine