Ankylosing spondylitis: the new approaches to the restorative treatment

This study included 82 patients presenting with ankylosing spondylitis randomly divided into 2 groups depending on the type of therapy. The patients of the main group were treated with the use of the balneotherapeutic, physiotherapeutic, and whole body cryotherapeutic procedures. The patients of the control group received a similar combined treatment by balneotherapy and physiotherapy without application of the whole body cryotherapy. The analysis of the data obtained revealed the higher clinical efficiency of the combined treatment with the use of whole body cryotherapy. The main aspects of the corrective action of the whole body cryotherapy were elucidated and characterized, such as a decrease in the activity of an ankylosing spondylitis, reduction of the severity of limited spinal mobility syndrome, and improvement of the quality of the patient’s life. It is concluded that the application of whole body cryotherapy increases the anti-inflammatory effect of the combination of physical therapeutic factors and is followed by a statistically significant positive dynamics of indicators of backbone mobility. Moreover, it enhances the quality of life index in the patients receiving the combined treatment, improves clinical and functional status in the majority of them. These beneficial effects persisted for at least 5-6 months after the treatment. The results of the study give reason to recommend the application of the whole body cryotherapy to the patients presenting with ankylosing spondylitis for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of therapeutic and rehabilitative measures.

ankylosing spondylitis, treatment, physiotherapy, whole body cryotherapy