Ankylosing spondylitis or AS is not just arthritis, it can be classified as a chronic, inflammatory disease that affects your spinal and other joints such as shoulder, hip, and knee joints. Ankylosing spondylitis can cause havoc in your body as it leads to fatigue, eye pain, and heart as well as lung problems. However, the good news is that it is possible for you to live well with this condition in spite of its complexity and involvement of your whole body. It requires you to prepare a little bit and be resilient. You just have to take one step at a time and deal with the condition on a day-to-day basis.
A. Manage your emotions
People with AS experience pain and it has psychological consequences. The pain commonly causes feelings of fear, helplessness, anxiety, and sadness. We express our response to difficult situations through these emotions. However, you need to find ways to cope with the pain if your emotions are creating a negative impact. You should contact a professional health care provider, if you are no longer involving in activities you enjoyed doing in the past or you experience sadness every day. Depression, a real disease, is treatable with the help of antidepressants and/or through talk therapy.
Sometimes, you may just be feeling a little down, but it pays to reach out to a few people and connect with them. Further, you must keep on involving in the activities that you find pleasurable and enjoyable. Some people derive comfort by involving in complementary therapies such as yoga, tai chi, and/or meditation. Information on the ability of mind/body therapies to positively impact AS is very limited, but they may be helpful in de-stressing you and giving you a feeling of wellness.
B. Involve in physical activity
1. Exercise
Exercise plays a critical role in the treatment of AS. You can check with your doctor or physical therapist and find out as to what exercises you can do to increase mobility, strength, and flexibility of joints. Exercises that help you to improve your posture often reduce the possibility of developing the long-term complications caused by the condition. In general, exercises tend to lessen the impact of the disease on your life. Moreover, it improves your mood.
2. Limit Use of Alcohol
There is evidence to show that excessive use of alcohol tends to worsen AS symptoms. Therefore, avoid excessive drinking to enjoy optimum functionality and overall health.
3. Stop Smoking
Studies have shown that smoking also worsens pain and inflammation associated with AS. It is, therefore, a good idea to quit smoking. In addition to reducing your ability to do your everyday tasks, it adversely impacts your quality of life irrespective of how long you have been suffering from AS and your age and gender. As ankylosing spondylitis is likely to lead to complications such as heart and lung conditions, smoking can aggravate the situation. So, it is best that you quit smoking in the interest of your health.
4. Diet and Weight
If you are suffering from AS, then you must maintain a healthy body weight to avoid putting additional stress on your joints. You can maintain your weight by eating nutritious food in the right quantities and exercising daily. Exercising also helps to maintain the mobility of your spine.
Bone & Joints 360
If you live in Mumbai and are wondering as to which is the best hospital that provides Ankylosing Spondylitis treatment in Mumbai, you can consider Bone & Joints 360. The hospital has the most experienced Ankylosing Spondylitis Expert in Mumbai on its rolls and has the facilities to provide the most accurate diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis as well as treatment.