6 Top Ankylosing Spondylitis Self-Care Strategies

Alongside medication and physical therapy for ankylosing spondylitis (AS), self-care plays a key role in managing symptoms and boosting your quality of life. Any activity that helps you feel better and keeps your symptoms at bay counts as self-care.

“Thriving with AS requires a lifestyle shift,” says Catherine Bakewell, MD, a rheumatologist in Salt Lake City and board member for the Association of Women in Rheumatology. “By adopting a lifestyle that supports regular physical activity, good posture, stress management, and plenty of high-quality sleep, you can slow down this disease and have a very good quality of life.”

Here’s how these and other self-care tips can help you get the most out of your treatment and reduce your AS symptoms.

1. Exercise Regularly

Pain and stiffness, two hallmark symptoms of AS, tend to improve with exercise and get worse with rest.

 But when your spine feels tight and immobile, exercising may feel like the last thing you want to do, says Jeremy Smith, MD, orthopedic surgeon for Hoag Orthopedic Institute in Orange, California.

“However, encouraging spine flexibility and activating the muscles around the spine can be one of the best things for anyone with AS,” says Dr. Smith.