Stanger bath therapy for ankylosing spondylitis: illusion or reality?

We compared the short-term effects of Stanger bath therapy and conventional exercises on spinal mobility, functional capacity, disease activity, and quality of life with conventional exercise alone in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. A total of 58 patients with a diagnosis of AS according to the modified New York criteria were included in this randomized prospective study. The patients were divided into two groups. Patients in group I (n = 30) received Stanger bath therapy and an exercise program. Group II (n = 28) patients were given the same exercise program but did not receive Stanger bath therapy. Patients were evaluated before (T0) and at the end of the treatments (T1). Evaluation parameters were the Bath AS Metrology Index (BASMI), Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI), Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), and AS Quality of Life (ASQoL). In both patient groups, a significant improvement was determined in all clinical outcomes between T0 and T1 except for BASMI in group II. Comparison of the groups showed significantly superior results in group I parameters of BASMI, BASFI, BASDAI, and ASQoL. Stanger bath therapy showed beneficial effects in spinal mobility, functional capacity, disease activity, and quality of life in AS patients immediately after the treatment period. We recommend Stanger bath therapy for AS patients in the short-term, but further research is imperative to assess whether improvement is sustained over a long-term follow-up.