There is not sufficient evidence yet available to base recommendations for or against the use of physiotherapy interventions for ankylosing spondylitis
BACKGROUND Ankylosing spondylitis ( AS ) is a chronic rheumatic disease .
Due to the consequences of the disease , physiotherapy is regarded to be an important part of the treatment .
OBJECTIVES The objective is to summarise the available scientific evidence on the effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions in the management of AS .
Is group physical therapy superior to individualized therapy in ankylosing spondylitis? A randomized controlled trial.
PURPOSE To study the effects of adding supervised group physical therapy to unsupervised individualized therapy in ankylosing spondylitis . METHODS One hundred forty-four patients were  r and omized to exercises at home , or the same plus weekly group physical therapy for 9 months . Endpoints were spinal mobility , fitness ( maximum work capacity by ergometry ) , functioning ( Sickness Impact Profile , Health Assessment Question naire for the Spondylarthropathies , and Functional Index ) , and patient 's global assessment of change on a 10-cm visual analogue scale . RESULTS Thoracolumbar flexion and extension increased by an average of 0.5 cm ( 9 % ) after home exercises , and by 0.9 cm ( 16 % ) after group therapy . Maximum load in ergometry decreased by 2 W ( 1 % ) after home exercises , but increased by 7 W ( 4 % ) after group therapy . Global assessment improved by 0.3 ( 6 % ) after home exercises , and by 1.7 ( 34 % ) after group therapy . These three differences were statistically significant . There were no significant differences in chest expansion , cervical rotation , or the self- assessment s of functioning . CONCLUSIONS Group physical therapy proved superior to individualized therapy in improving thoracolumbar mobility and fitness , and had an important effect on global health reported by the patients
There is not sufficient evidence yet available to base recommendations for or against the use of physiotherapy interventions for ankylosing spondylitis
BACKGROUND Ankylosing spondylitis ( AS ) is a chronic rheumatic disease .
Due to the consequences of the disease , physiotherapy is regarded to be an important part of the treatment .
OBJECTIVES The objective is to summarise the available scientific evidence on the effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions in the management of AS .