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Treatment Options for Ankylosing Spondylitis
Control of Other Ankylosing Spondylitis-Related Symptoms
Extra-articular symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are treated individually. These include:
Ocular Symptoms - For ocular symptoms of anterior uveitis, eyedrops are typically prescribed to reduce inflammation in the eyes.
Chest Wall Expansion - For symptoms related to limited chest wall expansion, deep-breathing exercises directed at maintaining normal chest wall movement in addition to the proper use of muscles to maintain optimum lung capacity will be suggested.
Peripheral Joint Inflammation - If peripheral joint inflammation causes severe pain, some patients benefit from steroid injections into the joint. Alternatively, some sites of inflammation are amenable to more benign methods of pain relief, such as if pain and inflammation are located in the heel, either due to plantar faciitis or Achilles tendonitis, some people find that inserting an insole into the shoe is helpful since it takes the weight off of the painful part of the heel.
