TY - JOUR T1 - Rehabilitation for Ankylosing Spondylitis in the Era of Biologics: Any Room Left for This Treatment? JF - The Journal of Rheumatology JO - J Rheumatol SP - 1228 LP - 1230 DO - 10.3899/jrheum.110362 VL - 38 IS - 7 AU - ENNIO LUBRANO AU - SALVATORE D’ANGELO AU - ANTONIO SPADARO AU - CARLO PALAZZI AU - IGNAZIO OLIVIERI Y1 - 2011/07/01 UR - http://www.jrheum.org/content/38/7/1228.abstract N2 - In 1955, Lawrence and Sladden wrote an article on the value of physiotherapy in rheumatic diseases1. As an introduction to their article they wrote: “In assessing the value of a method of treatment for rheumatic diseases the problem may be approached from 2 different angles: (1) whether the remedy relieves the pain and (2) whether it hastens recovery or renders it more complete”1. This statement reflected the mainstay of the management of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) for many years. Using a time machine, we can move from the mid-1950s to the third millennium when the ASsessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS) proposed evidence based recommendations to guide the physician in the management of AS2. In fact, although the use of anti-tumor necrosis factor-α treatment in AS patients must be considered a revolution in the treatment strategy of AS, the ASAS strengthened support for the approach that optimal management of AS requires a combination of non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatments2. Indeed, rehabilitation is still considered one of the main treatment strategies, most of the time showing beneficial effects; and non-pharmacological therapy (including education, exercise, and physiotherapy) was included in the recommendations for AS management by the ASAS working group/EULAR2. In the first update of these recommendations, it has been emphasized that regular exercise and patient education are the cornerstone of non-pharmacological treatment of AS and that supervised exercises are more effective than … Address correspondence to Dr. Olivieri. E-mail: ignazioolivieri{at}tiscalinet.it ER -