Symptoms, course and risks

In ankylosing spondylitis, either parts of the spine, the entire spine or the joints of arms and legs are affected. The inflammation and stiffening usually develops from caudal (bottom/foot) to cranial (top/head). If the joints of the arms and legs are also affected, the therapist will of course address and treat these symptoms in the respective sessions of physiotherapy.

Typical symptoms of Bekhterev’s disease are a hunched back, reduced flexibility, insidious pain and especially a nocturnal, deep-seated back pain and morning stiffness. The course of the disease is usually rapidly progressive. Consequential symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis can be breathing restrictions, since the ribs cannot open sufficiently due to the curved posture.Decreased respiration always carries the risk of respiratory tract infection.

It is therefore all the more important to maintain an upright posture during physiotherapy with the physiotherapist. You can find exercises for this under the topic Physiotherapy for Asthma. Due to the reduced movement in Bekhterev’s disease and the resulting less strain on the bones, osteoporosis can occur after many years of illness – i.e. bone density decreases and the bone is less resilient.

The power plate, for example, is an aid in physiotherapy to prevent osteoporosis. The main age of onset of ankylosing spondylitis is between the ages of 20 and 40. Men and women are equally affected. In Central Europe about 0.5% of the adult population is affected. This topic might also be of interest to you:

Poloyarthritis
Ligaments of the spine – inflammation

Phystiotherapeutic diagnostics

In physiotherapy for patients suffering from Bekhterev’s disease, the patient’s medical history, i.e., the questioning of the patient about the course of the disease and the main problems, is followed by an examination of the patient’s posture in various positions (sitting, standing) as well as transfers (the change of position from lying down to sitting, for example) and active and passive mobility, and how far the patient can move alone or with help. In Bekhterev’s disease, all movements of the spinal column (bending, stretching, turning, bending to the side) and the adjacent joints (hips, shoulders, and head movement) are tested. The musculature is also tested during diagnosis in physiotherapy – for length and strength, since all structures adapt to the body posture over time.