Any treatment for Ankylosing Spondylitis?

Question

Any treatment for Ankylosing Spondylitis?

Answer 1

there are new treatments now, but are very expensive. talk to a rheumatologist, who may be able to start a course of drugs known as 'biologicals'. Dr Reddy's Lab is coming out with a drug which will cost over one lakh every few months

Answer 2

I go for massage and pthysiotherapy. Taking warm shower or Bath seems to help with pain management.

Massage

Many people with spondylitis find therapeutic massage very helpful, and if done carefully, it can be a beneficial tool for pain relief and stress reduction. If a massage therapist is aware of a person's spondylitis and understands the disease and any potential manipulation issues, gentle massage can help promote well being. It may provide temporary relief of pain or stiffness, and in some cases improve flexibility because of the increased blood circulation. "In all my years of experience as a physical therapist, I have never known massage to worsen the symptoms of inflammation in a patient with AS. Deep tissue mobilization is nearly always welcomed by those with AS and is usually given in combination with passive stretches and ultrasound, heat or ice," says Mary Rosenberg, Physical Therapist, Los Angeles, CA.

Yet some people with spondylitis cannot tolerate the procedure due to increased pain as a result of the massage. Others attribute massage as a trigger for disease flare-ups.

Check with your health insurance on whether they cover massage treatment in your plan, and if so, ask how often you can get the massages.

TENS Unit

This stands for "transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation". It requires passing an electric current to nerve cells through electrodes placed on the skin.

Exercise is an integral part of any spondylitis program, along with good posture habits and medication to reduce pain and stiffness. Fitting exercise into your day can be tough, but it needs to be done. Exercise is such a high priority that it is important to make time for it each day (even 5-10 minutes during a work break is helpful). If you do, many benefits will result from your efforts. A spondylitis exercise program will help you maintain good posture, flexibility and eventually help to lessen pain. In many cases, good posture and mobility can even be regained with proper doses of medicine and exercise. Most people with spondylitis feel much better with exercise. The trick is to do enough but not too much. This can vary from day to day. Be good to yourself and never push to the point of pain or extreme fatigue.

Before beginning any new exercise program, consult your physician or physical therapist. They can help provide modifications to suit your particular needs. Ask which exercises you should do and then check to see that you are doing them correctly.

Treatment

The goal of treatment is to relieve pain and stiffness, and prevent or delay complications and spinal deformity. Ankylosing spondylitis treatment is most successful early, before it causes irreversible damage to your joints, such as fusion, especially in positions that limit your function.

Medications

Your doctor may recommend that you take one or more of the following medications:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs — such as naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn) and indomethacin (Indocin) — are the medications doctors most commonly use to treat ankylosing spondylitis. They can relieve your inflammation, pain and stiffness.

Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Your doctor may prescribe a DMARD, such as sulfasalazine (Azulfidine) or methotrexate (Rheumatrex), to treat inflamed joints of the legs and arms and other tissues. This class of drugs helps limit the amount of joint damage that occurs.

Corticosteroids. These medications, such as prednisone, may suppress inflammation and slow joint damage in severe cases of ankylosing spondylitis. You usually take them orally, ideally for a limited period of time because of their side effects. Occasionally, corticosteroids are injected directly into a painful joint.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers. Doctors originally used TNF blockers to treat rheumatoid arthritis. TNF is a cytokine, or cell protein, that acts as an inflammatory agent in rheumatoid arthritis. TNF blockers target or block this protein and can help reduce pain, stiffness, and tender or swollen joints. These medications, such as adalimumab (Humira), etanercept (Enbrel) and infliximab (Remicade), may decrease inflammation and improve pain and stiffness for people with ankylosing spondylitis.

Physical therapy

Physical therapy can provide a number of benefits, from pain relief to improved physical strength and flexibility. Your doctor may recommend that you meet with a physical therapist to provide you with specific exercises designed for your needs.

Range-of-motion and stretching exercises can help maintain flexibility in your joints and preserve good posture. In addition, specific breathing exercises can help to sustain and enhance your lung capacity.

As your condition worsens, your upper body may begin to stoop forward. Proper sleep and walking positions and abdominal and back exercises can help maintain your upright posture. Though you may develop spine stiffness despite your treatment, proper posture can help to ensure that your spine is fused in a fixed upright position.

Surgery

Most people with ankylosing spondylitis don't need surgery. However, your doctor may recommend surgery if you have severe pain or joint damage, or if a nonspinal joint is so damaged that it needs to be replaced. Spinal surgery is only rarely required.

Answer 3

Not really... even my dad is suffring for the past 5years.... The best thing to do  is to go for a nice morning walk.... and daily exersices would do...

Answer 4

Both exercise (active movement) and Chiropractic (passive manipulation) are important. There's no reason a person has to get that bad if they do these things.