Ankylosing spondylitis is a rare but painful condition that causes a person’s vertebrae to fuse together—leading to back pain, hip problems, and lack of mobility.
Since there is currently no cure for this disease, treatment generally focuses around managing the symptoms associated with it. The following five treatments are the most commonly employed when dealing with AS.
Medication
Medication is one of the primary ways that ankylosing spondylitis is treated—the most common being nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These help alleviate the stiffness and lack of mobility associated with AS, but they can sometimes cause severe side effects such as nausea or bleeding stomach ulcers. If NSAIDs prove to be ineffective, doctors can also prescribe stronger drugs used to treat inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis, although these can prove to have severe side effects as well.
Physical Therapy
AS sufferers often find that movement helps reduce their symptoms, so physical therapy is often a key component of treatment as well. Exercises are usually stretching-based and focused on decreasing pain and increasing both flexibility and mobility. Additionally, physical therapists may focus on ways that patients can improve their posture while sitting, walking, and sleeping.
Surgery
In extreme cases, surgery may be necessary to treat ankylosing spondylitis. However, this is normally seen as a last resort and is only used to address severe problems, such as a hip that needs to be replaced. Thankfully, most cases of AS are mild enough as to not warrant surgical intervention.
Diet
While diet will not have as much of an effect on ankylosing spondylitis as medication or physical therapy, there are a few nutritional considerations that can improve symptoms. Eating foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to reduce joint inflammation and the pain associated with it. Additionally, avoiding products known to cause inflammation, such as coffee, red meat, and alcohol, can help alleviate AS-associated pain as well.
Alternative Treatments
Even though there is little evidence to suggest that alternative medicine is effective at treating ankylosying spondylitis, many sufferers have found relief personally with them. The most commonly used ones include acupuncture and yoga, but other methods such as herbalism and massage are used as well. It’s recommended that alternative treatments not replace conventional ones, but rather, supplement them.
