What Is the Best Treatment for Ankylosing Spondylitis?

Treatment for ankylosing spondylitis varies and depends on your symptoms. It may involve a combination of treatments, including medication, exercise, physical therapy, good posture practices, home remedies (applying heat/cold to muscles and joints), and surgery.

Ankylosing spondylitis is a rare form of arthritis and is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disease. It mainly affects the sacroiliac joints between the bones of the pelvis, and the axial skeleton, which includes the spinal column, ribcage, neck, and skull bones. 

Treatment for ankylosing spondylitis may involve a combination of medication, exercise, physical therapy, good posture practices, applying heat/cold to help relax muscles and reduce joint pain, and surgery in severe cases.

The best treatment for ankylosing spondylitis depends on the type of spondyloarthritis, symptoms, and severity of the condition

Ankylosing Spondylitis Medications

Medications used to treat ankylosing spondylitis include:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain and stiffness
  • NSAIDs are the most commonly used type of medication to treat ankylosing spondylitis
• When NSAIDs do not work, sulfasalazine (a DMARD) and methotrexate for arthritis symptom relief are recommended
• Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) antagonists such as infliximab (Remicade), etanercept (Enbrel), adalimumab (Humira), certolizumab pegol (Cimzia), and golimumab (Simponi), may help improve symptoms 
  • Anti-interleukin 17 therapy such as secukinumab (Cosentyx) and ixekizumab (Taltz) may be used in place of anti-TNF therapy
• Corticosteroid injections for swollen, painful joints or an inflamed tendon or bursa or the sacroiliac joints. (Oral corticosteroids are not used.)
• Opioids (narcotics) for pain

Physical Therapy and Exercise for Ankylosing Spondylitis

Physical therapy and exercise are integral parts of treatment for ankylosing spondylitis to help maintain good posture and flexibility and to decrease pain. Other treatments for ankylosing spondylitis may include: 

• Exercises
  • Cardiovascular 
  • Isometric strengthening
  • Core strengthening
  • Stretching
  • Breathing exercises 
  • Dynamic movements
  • Fall-prevention exercises 
• Posture training to help prevent the spine from becoming “frozen” 
• Safety measures to minimize accidents caused by limited mobility 
  • Modify the home to decrease the risk of falls
  • Always wear seatbelts in motor vehicles
  • Sleep on a thin pillow to help avoid developing deformities of the neck
  • Limit alcohol
  • Avoid or limit use of narcotics and sleeping pills
  • Avoid high-impact activities and contact sports if the spine is inflexible
• Heat or cold therapy
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
• Support groups to help patients cope

Surgery for Ankylosing Spondylitis

Surgery may be used to treat severe cases of ankylosing spondylitis and may include:

• Total hip replacement for severe, chronic hip pain and limited mobility
• Fracture stabilization 
• Spinal surgery to fuse the bones in the cervical or upper thoracic spine
• Wedge osteotomy to remove a piece of bone from a spinal bone (vertebra), followed by realignment of the spine which is braced to heal in a better position