¿Es útil el ejercicio en el tratamiento de la espondilitis anquilosante?

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects mainly young men. This disease can affect axial and peripheral joints as well as specific organs, thus impairing quality of life in these patients. There are three types of treatment interventions in these patients: medical treatment, surgical treatment and physical-rehabilitation therapy. Physical-rehabilitation therapy includes distinct modalities such as hydrotherapy, electrothermotherapy, massage, rest, ergotherapy and physical therapy (PT). Among these options, PT is the most important in the treatment of AS. The main objective of PT is to preserve the normal range of movement in affected joints, depending on the stage of the disease. In this setting, many exercises for peripheral and axial joints can be performed, through rehabilitation, breathing exercises and mildly aerobic sports. Although comparison of the results of different PT interventions is difficult, a review of the literature on this subject reveals that spa-exercise therapy is better than supervised group PT, and that the latter is better than individualized PT in the home. Several extrinsic factors influence the results of the above-mentioned interventions. A clear finding is that benefits are obtained if exercise is consistently performed.