title: [Muscular disorders associated with ankylosing spondylitis and their correction with the help of whole body cryotherapy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the present study was to evaluate the possibilities for the correction of muscular disorders associated with ankylosing spondylitis and their correction with the help of whole body cryotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 55 patients randomly allocated to two groups. Group 1 was comprised of the patients treated with the use of the common mineral baths, physiotherapy, therapeutic physical exercises, spinal massage, and whole body air-cryotherapy. Group 2 contained the patients who were treated in a similar way with the exception of whole body cryotherapy; they served as controls. Muscular disorders were diagnosed by means of functional muscular testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study has demonstrated the high prevalence of muscular disorders in the patients suffering from ankylosing spondylitis. Moreover, it revealed the profile of such disorders associated with ankylosing spondylitis and showed significant correlation between the results of functional muscular testing, BASMI and BASFI indices as well as characteristics of chest excursions (p<0.01). The analysis of the results of the treatment gave evidence of the higher effectiveness of the combined treatment including whole body cryotherapy in comparison with the alternative therapeutic modalities employed in the present study. This therapeutic modality ensured the statistically more pronounced improvement of functional muscular testing parameters (p<0.05), muscle strength and extensibility, as well as certain other clinical and functional characteristics. The groups of muscles most susceptible to cryogenic therapy have been identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data obtained in the present study shed light on some specific features of the action of whole body cryotherapy accounting for its corrective influence on the muscular disorders in the patients presenting with ankylosing spondylitis. It is concluded that the proposed approach can be recommended for the introduction in the combined therapeutic and rehabilitative treatment of muscular disorders associated with ankylosing spondylitis.
authors.affiliation: Russian Medical Academy of Post-Graduate Education, Russian Ministry of Health, ul Barrikadnaya, 2/1, Moscow, Russian Federation, 125993.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Kulikov
authors.affiliation: Russian Medical Academy of Post-Graduate Education, Russian Ministry of Health, ul Barrikadnaya, 2/1, Moscow, Russian Federation, 125993; State autonomous health facility 'Moscow Research and Practical Centre for Medical Rehabilitation, Restorative and Sports Medicine', Moscow Health Department, ul. Talalikhina, 26A, Moscow, Russian Federation, 109316.
authors.forename: V I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Tabiev
authors.affiliation: State autonomous health facility 'Moscow Research and Practical Centre for Medical Rehabilitation, Restorative and Sports Medicine', Moscow Health Department, ul. Talalikhina, 26A, Moscow, Russian Federation, 109316.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rassulova
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001452:Balneology; D017679:Cryotherapy; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy