Advice from the National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society
Posture
This relates to the position of your body at any time during the day or night. The
position you adopt affects the position of your spine. Poor posture will be detrimental to
the ultimate position of your spine.
Get a suitable chair
The ideal chair either at home or at work has a firm seat and an upright, firm back,
preferably extending to the head. A chair with arms will also help to relieve weight from
the spine. The seat should not be too long, as you may have difficulty in placing your
lower spine into the back of the chair. The chair should be of a height which will allow
you to keep a right angle with the knee and hip joints. Whatever you do, avoid low, soft
chairs and sofas as they will encourage bad posture and increase pain.
Watch how you sit
Try to move your spine regularly, straighten it out and stretch it by sitting tall and
pulling your shoulders back. Try not to sit for too long. Stand up, walk about and limber
up. -
Take care with your bed, mattress and pillow
The ideal bed should be firm, without sag, but not too hard. If you have an interior
sprung mattress with a sprung base which is not very firm, place a sheet of chipboard or
plywood between the mattress and the base. Try to use as few pillows as possible,
preferably only one. A feather pillow can be moulded to suit any position and still give
your neck good support. If you decide to buy a new bed it does not need to be the most
expensive. You should choose an ordinary interior sprung mattress with a firm edge. If
possible, lie on the mattress for 20 minutes before purchasing to see if it is
comfortable. -
Lie flat on your back or your front for 20 minutes a day
It is beneficial to take the weight off your spine by lying horizontal for 15 - 20
minutes a day. Some of this time should be spent lying on your bed on your back with your
legs dangling towards the floor.
Try heat or cold
In its various forms heat will help to relieve pain and stiffness. Many people find a
hot bath or shower first thing in the morning and/or before bed reduces pain and
stiffness, especially if some stretching exercises are done at the same time. You may also
find hot water bottles or electric blankets useful in bed. If you have a particularly
inflamed area, an ice-pack or bag of frozen peas wrapped in a damp tea towel may help. But
do take care as ice can burn.
Don't wear a corset or a brace
Some doctors who are not familiar with the modern management of AS prescribe corsets
and braces. These often make matters worse, as they hold the spine rigid. And, with AS,
not moving leads to not being able to move!
Eat well
You will need to eat a good nourishing diet with plenty of protein found in meat, fish
and pulses. Eat fruit and vegetables for vitamins and drink milk for calcium. However,
avoid becoming overweight. -
Alcohol
Alcohol in moderation is not bad for AS. However, anti-inflammatory drugs and alcohol
can both affect the stomach lining and should therefore not be taken together.
Don't smoke
AS can reduce the capacity of the lungs. Smoking can make this even worse, making you
more prone to lung infections and shortness of breath. If you are a smoker, it is
therefore important that you stop. -
Avoid osteopathy, chiropractic and manipulation
Although osteopathy and chiropractic are useful for some conditions, we do not
recommend them for AS as the manipulation can be inappropriate.
Consider alternative remedies carefully
We encourage people to do whatever they find helps, provided it is not expensive or
dangerous. NASS members have tried alternative remedies such as acupuncture, aromatherapy,
reflexology and homeopathy. So far none has been shown to have any advantage over
conventional medical treatment, although there is evidence to suggest that massage and
relaxation techniques provide some benefit. If you do want to try alternative remedies,
please make sure that the practitioner fully understands the nature of AS.
-
Physiotherapy
This can greatly influence the outcome of your AS. A physiotherapist will teach you an
exercise routine for daily use and will remind you to be aware of your posture. You will
also learn how to increase the range of movement of certain joints, particularly shoulders
and hips. It is important to keep your muscles strong because lack of movement can weaken
them and it may take a long time to build them up again. You also need to learn how to
stretch the muscles that become shortened. NASS can supply you with both an audio cassette and an exercise video for you to follow at home. On joining the Society you can also attend
supervised weekly group physiotherapy sessions organised by your nearest NASS branch. -
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