Overview
Great advances in treatment have been made in recent years regarding the treatment of spondylitis. There is much that can be done to relieve the pain of USpA. A common treatment regimen includes medication and daily exercise.

A minority of people with USpA have mild and intermittent symptoms requiring symptomatic therapy - medications and therapy only when symptoms are present. These episodes may last from one to two weeks or even as long as several months, with prolonged remission periods where no medications are required. However, a majority of people with USpA require long-term therapy with regular medication.

Medication
You and your doctor can decide which of the following medications, if any, are best for you.

NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are the first stage of medication is in treating the pain associated with USpA. However, NSAIDs can cause significant side effects, in particular, damage to the gastrointestinal tract.

For those who do not respond well or do not tolerate NSAIDs, treatment with sulfasalazine can sometimes reduce small joint pain and stiffness, although no well-designed clinical trials have been conducted on the treatment of USpA.

When symptoms are severe, the newer biologic medications, called TNF-a blockers (e.g. Enbrel, Remicade) are sometimes prescribed off-label and achieve good results.

For more on the medications used to treat USpA, see our USpA Medications Section.

Exercise
Exercise is essential. As with the other diseases in the spondylitis family, special daily stretching and strengthening exercises are critical to maintaining optimum health , strength and range of motion in the joints. Special attention should to posture as well, in case USpA ultimately progresses into AS.

Other Symptom Management Tools
Alternative treatments such as massage and using a TNS unit (electrical stimulators for pain) can also aide in pain relief. Click here for more information in our alternative treatment section