Currently, the treatment methods are limited to using drugs to control inflammation and using rehabilitation to maintain joint mobility. To control the progression of the disease and rehabilitation, doctors recommend that patients start from the following details of life:
1. Maintain good posture, sitting posture, and sleeping posture to avoid the curvature of the spine and exacerbate the hunchback.
2. Maintain regular and continuous rehabilitation exercises in daily life to soften the stiff areas and maintain joint extensibility. Perform deep breathing, chest expansion, and straightening the trunk to strengthen the back muscles and abdominal flexibility, such as swimming and stretching exercises, to delay the progression of the lesion.
3. Due to the decreased load-bearing capacity of the patient, it is necessary to avoid heavy loads to prevent the progression of the lesion.
4. Do not use a lumbar and back brace to prevent the exacerbation of spondylitis.
5. Avoid sleeping with a pillow and not sleeping on a soft bed when sleeping.
6. If the back is stiff when getting up in the morning, it is not advisable to take a hot bath to improve it.
7. More attention should be paid to preventing the onset of the disease during cold and humid seasons.
8. Taking painkillers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs prescribed by the doctor can alleviate the patient's pain, and hot compresses are also effective for pain relief.
9. Once the course of the disease becomes severe to the point of being unable to walk, the doctor will evaluate the patient's condition and consider surgical implantation of an artificial hip joint.
Ankylosing spondylitis has a destructive effect on the skeletal tissue of the human body, in addition to making people hunchbacked, it can also deform the skeleton and hinder movement; if treatment is delayed, there is a risk of disability. Moreover, this is a physical disability deformation formed after adulthood, the impact on the patient's physical and mental health is self-evident, but patients should never lose heart and give up medical treatment. If treated properly, combined with persistent and appropriate exercise, the progression of the disease can also be slowed down.