Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis and Nonradiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis
Based on guidelines from the American College of Rheumatology.
Treatment - Active / Stable AS
In adults with active AS, ACR strongly recommends treatment with NSAIDs over no treatment with NSAIDs.
In adults with active AS, ACR conditionally recommends continuous treatment with NSAIDs over on-demand treatment with NSAIDs.
In adults with active AS, ACR does not recommend any particular NSAID as the preferred choice.
In adults with active AS despite treatment with NSAIDs, ACR conditionally recommends against treatment with SAARDs.
In adults with active AS despite treatment with NSAIDs, ACR strongly recommends treatment with TNFi over no treatment with TNFi.
In adults with active AS despite treatment with NSAIDs, ACR does not recommend any particular TNFi as the preferred choice, except for patients with concomitant inflammatory bowel disease or recurrent iritis.
In adults with active AS despite treatment with NSAIDs and who have contraindications to TNFi, ACR conditionally recommends treatment with a SAARD over treatment with a non-TNFi biologic agent.
In adults with active AS despite treatment with the first TNFi used, ACR conditionally recommends treatment with a different TNFi over adding a SAARD.
In adults with active AS despite treatment with the first TNFi used, ACR conditionally recommends treatment with a different TNFi over treatment with a non-TNFi biologic agent.
In adults with active AS, ACR strongly recommends against treatment with systemic glucocorticoids.
In adults with AS and isolated active sacroiliitis despite treatment with NSAIDs, ACR conditionally recommends treatment with locally administered parenteral glucocorticoids over no treatment with local glucocorticoids.
In adults with AS with stable axial disease and active enthesitis despite treatment with NSAIDs, ACR conditionally recommends using treatment with locally administered parenteral glucocorticoids over no treatment with local glucocorticoids. Peri-tendon injections of Achilles, patellar, and quadriceps tendons should be avoided.
In adults with AS with stable axial disease and active peripheral arthritis despite treatment with NSAIDs, ACR conditionally recommends using treatment with locally administered parenteral glucocorticoids over no treatment with local glucocorticoids.
In adults with stable AS, ACR conditionally recommends on-demand treatment with NSAIDs over continuous treatment with NSAIDs.
In adults with stable AS receiving treatment with TNFi and NSAIDs, ACR conditionally recommends continuing treatment with TNFi alone compared to continuing both treatments.
In adults with active AS, ACR strongly recommends treatment with physical therapy over no treatment with physical therapy.
In adults with active AS, ACR conditionally recommends active physical therapy interventions (supervised exercise) over passive physical therapy interventions (massage, ultrasound, heat).
In adults with active AS, ACR conditionally recommends land-based physical therapy interventions over aquatic therapy interventions.
In adults with stable AS, ACR strongly recommends treatment with physical therapy over no treatment with physical therapy.
In adults with active or stable AS, ACR conditionally recommends advising unsupervised back exercises.
In adults with active or stable AS, ACR conditionally recommends the regular-interval use and monitoring of a validated AS disease activity measure.
Treatment - Specific Comorbidities
In adults with AS and recurrent iritis, ACR conditionally recommends prescription over no prescription of topical glucocorticoids for prompt at-home use in the event of eye symptoms to decrease the severity or duration of iritis episodes.
In adults with AS and inflammatory bowel disease, ACR does not recommend any particular NSAID as the preferred choice to decrease the risk of worsening of inflammatory bowel disease symptoms.
Preventive Care
In adults with AS, ACR conditionally recommends participation in formal group or individual self-management education.
In adults with AS, ACR conditionally recommends screening for osteopenia/osteoporosis with dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning over no screening.
In adults with AS and syndesmophytes or spinal fusion, ACR conditionally recommends screening for osteoporosis/osteopenia with DXA scanning of the spine as well as the hips, compared to DXA scanning solely of the hip or other non-spine sites.
In adults with AS, ACR strongly recommends against screening for cardiac conduction defects with electrocardiograms.
How strong is the ACR's recommendation?