MedifocusHealth

Functional disability measures the extent to which self-care activities, mobility, and performance of household tasks have been impacted by the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Many AS patients (up to 45% by some estimates) experience only mild functional/physical disability, affected mostly by limited mobility. Ankylosing spondylitis patients with more severe disease activity (e.g., severe pain, stiffness, peripheral/hip arthritis) are at greater risk for developing functional disability. Physical therapy and, in some cases, hip replacement surgery or surgical correction of spinal kyphosis (abnormal curvature of the spine) can help improve functional disabilities in patients with greater disease activity.

The severity of functional disability may be affected by several factors, including:

• Duration of AS
• Young age of onset
• Being male
• Presence of peripheral arthritis
• Hip or neck arthritic involvement
• Presence of other illnesses (co-morbid conditions)

Physical therapy has been shown to improve functional disability and may even stabilize function when exercise and treatment continue for up to 18 months.