How physical therapy has improved my life with ankylosing spondylitis

“Wow, I haven’t kicked a soccer ball in about three years,” I said to my friends Monica and Stephanie before wiping a puddle of sweat from my forehead. “That felt amazing.”

It was a Saturday morning in early June, and we’d spent the last half-hour playing a game of 2 vs. 1 in a patch of grass in Sag Harbor, New York. With every dribble and touch, I felt a sense of calm that I hadn’t experienced in a long time.

Soccer was my first love. Growing up, I can’t recall a weekend that wasn’t spent traveling to a game or tournament — first, as a spectator in a stroller, watching my older brother play, and then as a player myself. I played throughout high school and college, even walking on to the university’s team when I was a freshman. After graduating, I joined recreational leagues and played anywhere from two to five times a week.

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Since being diagnosed with axial spondyloarthritis, of which ankylosing spondylitis is a form, in 2021, I’d pretty much given up on the sport entirely. After a few initial attempts to play in local leagues, my back would ache for days afterward. I resorted to the idea that soccer just wasn’t compatible with inflammatory arthritis. My soccer ball sat dusty and unused in my closet, a relic from a different time.

This spring, I restarted an IL-17 inhibitor, a type of biologic that targets a specific part of my immune system that’s overactive. While this medication helped with pain and stiffness, I still experienced flare-ups of inflammation, especially in my knees.

Giving physical therapy a try

A new physical therapy office had just opened down the block from me. I walked by several times, wondering if it might complement the biologic I was taking. Would insurance cover it? Would it be a waste of money? Would it be painful? I pushed the appointment off for weeks, until I finally persuaded myself to give it a try.

My first session involved an evaluation to test my lower body strength and flexibility along with some time spent setting goals. Over the next few sessions, we focused on strengthening my hips and quadriceps, which had become weak and stiff, especially as I’d compromised parts of my body to alleviate the pain from ankylosing spondylitis.

After a few weeks of simple exercises, I graduated to lifting free weights and on machines, something I hadn’t done in years because I was afraid of getting injured. I’d leave each session feeling better than I had in months. The exercises helped me mentally, too, as I was able to see my body not only as something battling a disease, but as something able to heal and get stronger.

As someone with inflammatory arthritis, I’ve found that it’s important to communicate with my physical therapist and speak up when something hurts or doesn’t feel right. For example, I always ask my therapist to bring any heavy weights to a table at arm level so that I don’t have to strain my back to pick them up. Even if it’s not what I see other patients doing, it’s important to be vocal about my needs, especially when it comes to protecting my spine and joints.

Since that Saturday morning spent playing soccer with my friends, I’ve taken my soccer ball to a nearby park several times to kick around, juggle, and dribble in the sunshine. I’ve still had some flare-ups since starting physical therapy, but my hope is that over time, I can get back to doing more of the physical activities I love.

“We should play soccer more often,” my friend Stephanie said that Saturday, as we climbed into the car to head back to the house. “I forgot how fun it is.”

“Yeah,” I said, smiling. “I think I did, too.”

Note: Ankylosing Spondylitis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Ankylosing Spondylitis News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to ankylosing spondylitis.