Ankylosing Spondylitis and Your Job

Regardless of whether your job involves desk work or physical labor, managing your ankylosing spondylitis from 9 to 5 can be quite challenging.

Roughly 300,000 Americans have ankylosing spondylitis (AS), also known as Bechterew’s disease. It’s a type of arthritis that can make some of your vertebrae fuse so that you hunch forward and lose flexibility. Other common symptoms include pain or discomfort in your ribs or your hip and shoulder joints, and uncomfortable inflammation in your eyes.

With symptoms like those, you can’t just assume that medication and physical therapy will keep an AS flare-up from interfering with your job. Being proactive is key. You’ll want to take steps on your own to maximize your physical comfort on the job, and you also may need to ask your employer for certain accommodations to do your work. You are legally entitled to do that.

What Studies Show

Trying to stoically push through an AS episode without any adjustments at work is almost certainly a bad idea. Consider that:

• Half of people with AS manage some type of instability on the job.
• Between 10% and 20% of people with AS encounter some kind of work disability, especially if their jobs are physically demanding.
• Nearly one in seven AS patients must scale back or change their work due to the disease.
• One-third of people who need to go to the hospital for AS symptoms eventually need to stop working before retirement age.

Improvements You Can Make

One study found that creative solutions by AS patients resulted in fewer disruptions at work. Here are some tips for changing your work environment to help manage your AS, regardless of your job:

• Adjust your chair. If you work at a desk routinely, the chair back should be aligned to support your spine vertically, with shoulders straight. Its seat should be adjusted so that when your feet are flat on the floor, your knees are even with your hips or slightly higher. It’s important to avoid slouching.
• Improve back support. If your chair doesn’t give enough support, then try adding a rolled towel or small pillow or investing in a lumbar support pillow.
• Keep moving. If your job keeps you sitting for long periods, try to structure your day to include times when you stand and walk around. Take regular breaks from your desk, and be disciplined about walking during those breaks and lunchtime.
• Check your posture. During bathroom breaks, look in the mirror to see if your spine is straight. Enlist a co-worker to signal if you slouch during meetings.
• Arrange your desk. When sitting, your forearms should rest horizontally without effort. When you use a computer, your wrists should be straight and fingers relaxed, and your eyes should be level with the top of the screen.
• Use stretching exercises diligently. Your physical therapist can recommend easy exercises regardless of whether you sit at a desk all day, constantly drive, or lift heavy objects. Reputable medical organizations also post videos of helpful exercises.
• Take care lifting heavy objects. Use both palms to lift, or when possible, use your arms rather than hands. Hold the object close to your body to take pressure off your joints. Whenever possible, slide the object rather than lift it.