User:Itskelvs/sandbox

Physical Therapy
Though physical therapy remedies have been scarcely documented, some therapeutic exercises are used to help manage lower back, neck, knee, and shoulder pain. Some therapeutic exercises include:
 * Low intensity aerobic exercise
 * Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
 * Thermotherapy
 * Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF)



Low intensity aerobic exercises have shown to have profound positive effects regarding pulmonary function, quality of life, and functional capacity.

A TENS unit is effective in diminishing the pain sensation from AS by inputting millions of electrical impulses to override the painful stimuli

Spa treatments utilizing thermal baths coupled with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNF) have shown a long-term improvement in AS patients. Spa treatments coupled with TNF inhibitors have no disease relapse among AS patients.

PNF technique is sometimes used to retrain and re-educate muscles in AS patients to prevent faulty movement patterns. The PNF technique may be effective to optimize motor abilities because it encourages the neuromuscular mechanism through stimulation of the proprioceptors. Two types of PNF techniques are:
 * Hold-relax (used on more symptomatic areas)
 * Contract-relax (used on less stimulating areas)