10 Natural Treatments for Ankylosing Spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory disease that affects the joints, particularly of your spine. This disease can cause some of the vertebrae of your spine to fuse. This fusion leads to a reduction in the flexibility of your back and can often result in a bad posture. Ankylosing spondylitis affects men more often than women. This can cause pain and stiffness in the lower back and the pelvis region. The disorder can be controlled with early diagnosis and proper treatment. You can take ayurvedic medicines for effective treatment of ankylosing spondylitis along with other natural options available for AS Treatment, 10 are discussed below:

The signs and symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis vary from person to person. In some cases, symptoms start early and are severe. While in others, symptoms may be mild or may come and go. The common signs and symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis include the following:

• The intense pain can be observed in the body while sleeping.
• Limited movement in the lower spine of the body.
• Pain or stiffness in the lower back or hips
• Buttock and neck pain
• Fatigue throughout the day.
• Less often, pain or stiffness in other areas, such as the shoulders, ribs, hands and feet, or heels
• Other complications may include eye inflammation, called uveitis
• The disease may also cause problems affecting the skin called Psoriasis.
• Reduced lung capacity and difficulty in breathing.
• Stomach or bowel problems.

The exact cause of Ankylosing spondylitis is unknown. It can occur due to both environmental and genetic causes. The major genetic cause is the HLA-B27 gene, which increases your risk of a diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis. Therefore, carrying the HLA-B27 gene may present a 40% risk for developing AS. In Spite of these cases, there are various risk factors that may be considered while talking about ankylosing spondylitis:

• If you are a male or related to someone with the disease
• HLA-B27 positive
• In your teens, 20s, or 30s
• If you’re diagnosed with a related disease, such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis or psoriasis.

This ankylosing spondylitis can cause severe pain and mobility problems, but it can be managed well in many cases by following some minor natural treatments at home. By following these few natural lifestyle tips, you may be able to help ease your symptoms and keep the disease from getting worse. Natural approaches and ways to self-care are essential in the effective, long-term management of ankylosing spondylitis. They are considered to be a part of conventional treatment to maintain mobility and limiting pain. These strategies can help in relieving the symptoms and in some cases, it may improve your overall health. But make sure to always speak with a doctor before changing your diet or exercise habits, or before starting the natural ways regime to manage the AS.

The natural strategies you can follow to self-manage many symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis are listed below:

1. More and more exercise - Daily physical activity is very essential for people with ankylosing spondylitis, as it can reduce pain, improve mobility and posture, and help you maintain your flexibility. Exercising can also help you in achieving a healthy weight. Activities such as swimming and aqua-therapy, where there is not as much direct pressure on the back are also preferred overrunning or jogging. Stretching also helps in building flexibility and may also reduce pain. You should add the spine stretch or the low-back rotation stretch to your daily routine. Yoga can be a great physical exercise to increase the flexibility of your back as well as decrease pain in ankylosing spondylitis.
2. Practice good posture techniques - Practicing good posture can help prevent spinal fusion, which is the major cause of this disease. Posture exercises should be practised daily to have the best impact on your spine’s symptoms.
3. Use heat or cold packs - Warm compresses and heating pads or ice packs may be helpful for the temporary relief of pain and inflammation from the affected area. You should perform these activities after consulting your doctor.
4. Consider acupuncture - Acupuncture is an ancient remedy for pain. It involves inserting thin needles into specific points in your skin. This is thought to activate your body’s pain-relieving hormones. This may be helpful in reducing the pain from AS.
5. Massage therapy from an expert - As you, all know that Massage helps you relax when done with care and an understanding of the ankylosing spondylitis. Professional massage therapy or Abhyangam, an ayurvedic treatment for ankylosing spondylitis can reduce stress and may have some positive impacts on pain, stiffness and flexibility.
6. Don’t smoke - Ankylosing spondylitis has the power to restrict the movement of your rib cage, and make it hard to take deep breaths. In this condition, the strain of smoking on your lungs is even more dangerous than it otherwise is.
7. TENS therapy - TENS stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. TENS therapy uses electrical current to stimulate nerves through the body for pain control. Electrodes are generally applied at the pain site and connected to the TENS machine. The TENS technique is usually taught by a physical therapist and maybe continued at home.
8. Use Anti-inflammatory formulations - There are some natural anti-inflammatory formulations that contain many herbs that are great for reducing pain and inflammation. These are curcumin (Turmeric), Boswellia extract and Devils claw.
9. Alexander Technique - The Alexander Technique teaches you to be aware of your posture throughout your day. It also teaches you how to correct poor posture and may be helpful for people with AS.
10. Stay away from sugar and inflammable foods - Sugar can be a potent source of inflammation. Eliminate this from your diet, and you can see a change in your body. Also, opt for anti-inflammatory foods that would help in reducing disease exposure such as plenty of calcium and vitamin D to support bone health, and eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.