Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of inflammatory arthritis that primarily affects the spine and sacroiliac joints. While AS can affect both men and women, men are up to 3 times more likely to develop AS than women.
According to the Australian Rheumatology Association AS affects around 2-3% of Australians, or around 650,000 people. Of these, approximately 70% are men.
A study published in The Journal of Rheumatology in 2019 found that men with AS in Australia had higher disease activity, more spinal fusion, and more severe symptoms compared to women with AS.
Another study published in the journal Arthritis Care and Research in 2018 found that men with AS in Australia had a higher prevalence of depression and anxiety compared to women with AS.
AS symptoms include pain and stiffness in the back and other joints, fatigue and reduced mobility with symptoms usually appearing between the ages of 15 and 45.
Manual therapy, which involves hands-on techniques such as massage, joint mobilisation and stretching, is a common treatment for AS.
A 2016 systematic review found that manual therapy was effective in providing short-term pain relief, reduced stiffness, and improved spinal mobility in people with AS.