There was no important clinical meaningful benefit .
Adverse effectsWe found very low- quality evidence of the effect of exercise versus either no intervention , or usual care .
We found moderate- to low- quality evidence that exercise programmes probably slightly improve function , may reduce pain , and probably slightly reduce global patient assessment of disease activity , when compared with no intervention , and measured upon completion of the programme .
We found moderate- to low- quality evidence that exercise programmes probably have little or no effect on improving function or reducing pain , when compared with usual care , and may have little or no effect on reducing patient assessment of disease activity , when measured upon completion of the programmes .
We are uncertain whether exercise programmes improve spinal mobility , reduce fatigue , or induce adverse effects
BACKGROUND Exercise programmes are often recommended for managing ankylosing spondylitis ( AS ) , to reduce pain and improve or maintain functional capacity .
OBJECTIVES To assess the benefits and harms of exercise programmes for people with AS .
High-intensity cardiorespiratory and strength exercises reduced emotional distress and fatigue in patients with axial spondyloarthritis: a randomized controlled pilot study
Objective : To investigate the effect of high-intensity exercise on emotional distress , fatigue , and ability to do a full day ’s activities in patients with axial spondyloarthritis ( axSpA ) . Method : A total of 28 physically inactive axSpA patients were r and omized to either an exercise group ( EG ) , which performed 12 weeks of cardiorespiratory and strength exercises , or a control group ( CG ) , which received treatment as usual . The outcomes reported in this paper are secondary outcomes in the trial and included emotional distress ( General Health Question naire-12 , 0–36 , 36 = worst ) , fatigue [ numeric rating scale ( NRS ) , 0–10 , 10 = worst ] , and ability to do a full day ’s activities ( NRS , 0–10 , 10 = worst ) . Post-intervention differences were assessed by analysis of covariance with baseline values as covariates . Results : Twenty-four patients were included in the analyses . All patients in the EG followed the exercise protocol . The EG had a statistically significant beneficial effect [ mean group differences ( 95 % confidence interval ) ] on emotional distress [ −5.8 , ( −9.7 , −1.9 ) , p < 0.01 ] , fatigue [ −2.4 , ( −4.3 , −0.4 ) , p = 0.02 ] , and ability to do a full day ’s work [ −2.2 , ( −3.9 , −0.4 ) , p = 0.02 ] compared to the CG . Conclusion : This pilot study showed promising effects of cardiorespiratory and strength exercises  on emotional distress , fatigue , and ability to do a full day ’s activities in patients with axSpA. The findings need to be confirmed in a larger trial
There was no important clinical meaningful benefit .
Adverse effectsWe found very low- quality evidence of the effect of exercise versus either no intervention , or usual care .
We found moderate- to low- quality evidence that exercise programmes probably slightly improve function , may reduce pain , and probably slightly reduce global patient assessment of disease activity , when compared with no intervention , and measured upon completion of the programme .
We found moderate- to low- quality evidence that exercise programmes probably have little or no effect on improving function or reducing pain , when compared with usual care , and may have little or no effect on reducing patient assessment of disease activity , when measured upon completion of the programmes .
We are uncertain whether exercise programmes improve spinal mobility , reduce fatigue , or induce adverse effects
BACKGROUND Exercise programmes are often recommended for managing ankylosing spondylitis ( AS ) , to reduce pain and improve or maintain functional capacity .
OBJECTIVES To assess the benefits and harms of exercise programmes for people with AS .