The effect of exercise on ankylosing spondylitis--a preliminary study.
The Polhemus Navigation Sciences 3Space Isotrak system was used to measure the range of lumbar spinal motion of 57 patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Forty-three of these attended voluntary exercise sessions for an average of one and a half hours per week while 14 did not participate in any formal exercise groups. Exercising patients fell into two groups: those attending moderate and those attending vigorous exercise sessions. Results for exercising patients obtained immediately pre- and post- a single exercise session showed a small but significant increase in extension for the vigorous exercise group but no significant changes in any other movement for either of the groups. In a group of 44 patients (33 exercising, 11 non-exercising) who were followed-up over a 2 to 6 month period, slight loss of flexion (5.5 degrees) and lateral bend (3 degrees) was observed but there was no change in range of extension.
Centre for Biomedical Engineering, University of Durham.
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P
Russell
A
A
Unsworth
I
I
Haslock
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome