Question

When providing education for a client diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, which teaching points should the nurse convey?

a) Maintain a sedentary lifestyle.
b) Encourage high-impact exercises.
c) Emphasize the importance of movement and exercise.
d) Use heat therapy to alleviate pain.

Answer 1

When providing education for a client with ankylosing spondylitis, the nurse should emphasize the importance of movement and exercise, particularly low-impact activities, and the use of heat therapy to alleviate pain, while avoiding high-impact exercises and a sedentary lifestyle.

Step-by-step explanation:

When educating a client diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a rheumatologic condition, it is important to stress several key management strategies that align with treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA), due to their similarities in affecting joints and mobility. Firstly, it is crucial to emphasize the importance of movement and exercise, with a focus on maintaining joint mobility and muscle strength around the joints. An ideal exercise regime would include low-impact activities such as swimming, water aerobics, and biking. Secondly, use heat therapy is a valid option to help alleviate pain and stiffness in the joints. Conversely, high-impact exercises should be discouraged due to the stress they can place on affected joints, and a sedentary lifestyle should also be avoided as it can lead to further stiffness and pain.