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.
Russell
P
P
Centre for Biomedical Engineering, University of Durham.
Unsworth
A
A
Haslock
I
I
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