title: Evaluation of the effects of Global Postural Reeducation in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
abstract: The objective of this study is to assess the effects of Global Postural Reeducation (GPR) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and compare GPR with group conventional segmental self-stretching and breathing exercises. This is a controlled interventional study of 38 patients divided into 2 groups: a GPR group (n = 22) and a control group (n = 16). Both groups were treated for more than 4 months. With the GPR group patients, positions that stretched the shortened muscle chains were used. With the control group patients, conventional segmental self-stretching and breathing exercises were performed. The variables analyzed were pain intensity, morning stiffness, spine mobility, chest expansion, functional capacity (Health Assessment Questionnaire-Spondyloarthropathies-HAQ-S), quality of life (Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36 Healthy Survey-SF-36), and disease activity (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index-BASDAI). Statistical analysis was used with a significance level of P < 0.05. There was a statistically significant improvement for all the parameters analyzed between pre-and post-treatment in both groups. In the intergroup comparison, the GPR group showed a significantly greater improvement in morning stiffness (P = 0.013), spine mobility parameters, except finger-floor distance (P = 0.118), in chest expansion (P = 0.028), and in the physical aspect component of the SF-36 (P = 0.001). The results of this study showed that individual treatment with GPR (overall stretching) seems to have better clinical outcomes than group treatment with conventional segmental self-stretching and breathing exercises for patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Brazil. elianesilvafisio@gmail.com
authors.forename: Eliane Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Sandra C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Vilar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059408:Pain Management; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013131:Spine / Q000503:physiopathology; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult