[Spondyloarthritides: principles of rehabilitation]

Spondyloarthritides (SpA) cover the group of heterogeneous inflammatory rheumatic diseases, being chronic by duration and progressive by development, including ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Although it is a question of clinically different entities, this big group of rheumatic diseases has got numerous common clinical, functional, radiological and genetic features which make them different from the other inflammatory rheumatic diseases. One of the most important approaches to the treatment of SpA patients is medical rehabilitation and monitoring their functional status, as these diseases are followed by notable functional seizures on axial skeleton and affected joints, resulting in significant disabled conditions related to activities of daily living, quality of life and professional activities. Although in all valid and accepted recommendations for treatment of SpA, among which AS and PsA are most frequent, there is obligation to apply rehabilitation treatments (as a form of non pharmacological treatment) and everyday experiences testifies to that to large degree, but in medical literature there are few actual and precise data of such a treatment. Meta-analyses and observation studies, evaluating the results of scarce randomized controlled studies, mention the application ofkinesitherapeutic procedures, hydrotherapy and bath therapy in the process of treatment and rehabilitation of SpA patients, but their results don't have enough credibility for explanation and acceptance of such outcomes. In conclusion, medical rehabilitation which is most frequently based on kinesitherapeutic models, has to be an integral part of non pharmacological treatment of SpA, including all other procedures of physical therapy (ultrasound, cryotherapy, electrotherapy, laser) which have symptomatic effect and significantly complete useful impact of medical gymnastic, having major effects on the increase of functional capacity, with the obligation of more frequent, scientifically established monitoring and evaluation of non pharmacological treatment effect.