Aim:The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of microwave therapy and global postural reeducation (GPR) exercises on disease activity, pain, quality of life and functional status in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Materials and Methods: 77 patients diagnosed with AS were included in the study. First group (n: 25) was treated with global postural reeducation exercises 5 days a week, for 3 weeks. Patients in the second group (n: 26), in addition to GPR, were treated with microwave therapy before each exercise session to warm lumbar paraspinal muscles. Third group (n: 26) consisted of controls. Subjects were evaluated at baseline, on the third week, third and six months. Results: In the first group, improvement in all parameters was found to be significant (p<0.05). Second group exhibited statistical improvement in all outcome measures (p<0.05) except daytime pain (p >0.05). In the control group, improvements in BASMI, BASDAI and Beck depression scores were statistically significant (p<0.05). Intergroup comparisons showed a statistically significant difference among groups in all outcome measures at the sixth month follow-up (p<0.05). First and second groups which received GPR demonstrated greater improvement in BASMI, BASFI, BASDAI and Beck depression inventory scores compared with the control group (p<0.05).
Conclusion:Our results show that GPR has beneficial effects on disease activity, quality of life, pain and depression in patients with AS. We could not detect any additional benefits of microwave therapy applied before exercise.