Treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs like Acetaminophen, Naprosin or Feldene, physiotherapy and exercise are the main recommended treatments for Ankylosing Spondylitis, a genetic disease, that causes chronic inflammation.
This disease causes pain in the buttocks and lower back, stiffness or jerking movements, joint pain or difficulty breathing and can lead to disability. Ankylosing Spondylitis is most common in men between 20 and 30 years of age, and is sometimes associated with other problems such as psoriasis or inflammatory bowel diseases.
How is the treatment?
Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis is usually done with analgesic and anti-inflammatory medicines, which serve to relieve pain and inflammation caused by the disease, such as:
- Aspirin
- Acetaminophen;
- Naprosin or Naproxen;
- Voltaren or Diclofenac;
- Feldene or Piroxicam;
- Profenid or Ketoprofen.
These are some remedies that can be used under medical advice in the treatment of this disease, which relieve pain, suppress inflammation and control stiffness of the body, allowing better rest of the body at night. In addition, when the disease also affects other joints, other medicines such as sulfasalazine or methotrexate may also be used to help treat this disease.
Physical therapy is another type of treatment that should be used to treat Ankylosing Spondylitis because it works to improve movement of the body and joints, as well as helps to correct posture.
In more severe cases, when there is a very damaged joint for example, surgery can be recommended to correct the problem and put a prosthesis if necessary.
What are the Recommended Exercises
To prevent the progression of the disease, it is recommended to practice regular physical exercise that helps in the mobilization of the shoulders and hips.
Swimming, pilates, water aerobics, zumba, running and dancing are some of the exercises recommended for these cases, and it is important to avoid more demanding sports for the body or contact like fights or martial arts. Learn about some of the benefits of Zumba for the body at Zumba.
The diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis is made through the evaluation and observation of the symptoms manifested, and it is important to evaluate if the pain that arises is slow and gradual and if it is worse in the last hours of the day or soon in the morning. In addition, because outbreaks of inflammation can also occur in places other than the spine such as joints such as the hips, shoulders, ankles, and knees, it is important to be aware of the occurrence of pain or discomfort in these regions. Learn more about how the diagnosis is made in Getting to Know the Symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis.
