What is AS?
Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease primarily involving the spine and sacroiliac joints. Except for the spine, hip and shoulder joints are most affected. In AS, involvement of other peripheral joints other than root joints can also be seen and usually exhibit asymmetrical, mild, transient, and arthritic features. Approximately one third of patients may be affected by peripheral joints. The wrist, elbow, and foot joints, especially the knees, can be affected. In women, ankylosing spondylitis may occur in different clinical features and peripheral involvement is more common.
How is it diagnosed?
A person with low back pain should first consult a physiatrist or rheumatologist. This is especially true in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Unfortunately, the number of patients who go to another doctor with low back pain and who are tried to withdraw their waist MR and treat it as mild back pain, are not so successful.
Diagnosed physical examination is the most important step. The waist and thighs should be shown to be limited by movement of the waist. The diagnosis is necessarily radiological evidence of 'sacroileitis'. This can be done quickly with just an X-ray film. Sometimes a CT scan or a sacroiliac joint MR should be taken if you can not be sure about the x-ray. Blood tests and some genetic tests (HLAB27) are not worth diagnosing. However, these blood tests are necessary to exclude other diseases or to determine the severity of the disease.
How is AS treatment done?
The priority in the treatment of AS is the suppression of the activation of the disease by rheumatic medicines. These rheumatic drugs are reported by the physiotherapist. When used regularly, it helps to reduce pain and increase movement in large proportions.
Physical therapy and exercise in AS treatment
In the treatment of AS, firstly painful and inflammatory drugs should be removed. Afterwards, physical methods and exercise should be done for functional treatment. During exercises and after physiotherapy exercises organized by the doctor regularly increases the mobility and reduces the rigidity of the spine. It is necessary to lie flat for at least 2 hours a day to reduce the backbone of the spine. Regular walking and swimming are also very useful.