Does Exercise Therapy Treat Ankylosing Spondylitis?

Ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory condition that can cause back stiffness and may limit spinal or hip movement. Exercise does not switch off the inflammation by itself. Its value is practical: regular mobility work can help maintain range, posture exercises can address stiffness, and strengthening and aerobic activity can support endurance. A physiotherapist can adapt the plan around pain, fatigue, joint involvement, and flare symptoms.

Start with a professional assessment and a manageable routine rather than forcing stiff joints through pain. Include gentle spinal and hip mobility, posture practice, strengthening, and suitable cardiovascular activity when advised. Break activity into shorter periods if fatigue is prominent. During a flare, the plan may need to become gentler while medical treatment is reviewed. Consistency matters more than intensity.

Contact your care team if a new exercise repeatedly causes marked swelling, severe pain, or symptoms that last beyond the expected recovery period. Seek urgent care for sudden severe weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness around the groin, or a serious eye symptom such as painful light sensitivity or sudden visual change.

Which movements suit my current stiffness? How should I modify exercise during a flare? Do my hip, rib, or eye symptoms change the plan?