In many cases, ankylosing spondylitis leads to a stiffening of the spine as part of the rheumatic inflammatory processes. Regular physiotherapeutic exercises are therefore essential in the course of therapy. The exercises serve to keep the spinal column as mobile as possible.
It is advisable to do the exercises on your own outside of the physiotherapy sessions. A good time is in the morning directly after getting up, because many people have to fight with the morning stiffness at this time. Perform the exercises 1 to 2 times with 10 repetitions each or, if necessary, with 15 seconds of hold.
Exercises from physiotherapy
- From the prone position, lift your upper body by bringing your elbows up to your upper body. The gaze is constantly directed downwards.
- Lie supine on a rolled up towel in the thoracic spine area. Your feet are upright and your arms at the sides of your body with 90° in the elbow joint.
Press your chest up and your arms down. Hold the tension for 15 seconds.
- Sit upright on a Pezzi ball. Put your hands on your hips.
The pelvis is now tilted forward and backward again. Pull your shoulders together and push the chest upwards.
- Starting position: The feet are on the Pezzi ball, the arms stretched out. Pay attention to a tension in the trunk (belly/lower back).
The lower back must not sag. The upper back also forms a straight line.
- End position: Pull the pezzi ball to the chest. The back rolls up a little bit, but keep the arms stretched.
- Sit on a Pezzi ball and place your feet hip-wide on the floor.
Now move your feet forward until only your shoulder blades are resting on the Pezzi ball. The hands are at the temples. This opens your chest even more.
Press your hips in the final position
1.) Stretching of the rib cage First sit on the floor with bent legs. Now let your knees fall outwards, so that the soles of your feet are in front of your body.
Grab the tips of your toes with one hand and pull your upper body forward and straighten it up. With the other hand, move your head towards your sternum. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds.
Repeat the exercise 3 times. 2.) Stretching of the spine For this exercise, stand in a quadruped position.
Let your pelvis sag and pull your head back as if you wanted to provoke a hollow back. Walk only up to the pain threshold and hold the position for 30 seconds. Again, do 3 repetitions.
3.) Mobilization Stand straight and with your legs apart. The arms are stretched out sideways at shoulder height.
From this position, move your left hand to your right foot. Straighten up again to the starting position and then move the right hand to the left foot. Repeat the exercise 15 times.
4.) Mobilization and straightening up Lean with your back against a wall. The knees are slightly bent.
Try to have contact with the wall with each vertebral body. Now raise your arms stretched out above your head and then lower them again. 20 repetitions.
5.) Mobilization and stretching of the BWS Move to the quadruped position. Then raise your left arm so that your elbow is pointing towards the ceiling.
The right arm remains on the floor while your upper body and head follow the movement of the left arm. Then change sides. 10 repetitions per side.
6.) Mobilisation and stretching of the lumbar spine Lie on your back with your legs in an upright position. The arms are lying loosely beside the body.
Now let your legs tilt in a controlled manner, first to the left and then to the right. The knees remain in constant contact during the exercise. 10 repetitions per side. More exercises can be found in the articles:
- Exercises against a hunchback
- Physiotherapy Scheuermann’s disease
- BWS Syndrome – exercises that help
