Medication and exercise are commonly prescribed to help ease the pain, swelling, and other symptoms associated with ankylosing spondylitis. Research shows that some vitamins and supplements may also help control the inflammation in your joints and keep your bones strong. However, some touted supplements for ankylosing spondylitis, such as glucosamine and chondroitin, have no proven benefits.
Supplements for Ankylosing Spondylitis With Proven Benefits
The severity of ankylosing spondylitis varies from person to person. Along with following your prescribed treatment regimen, maintaining a healthy weight and following a well-balanced diet can help control your symptoms. Although there’s no specific diet for people with ankylosing spondylitis, certain vitamins and minerals can help, including: Omega-3 fatty acids. These polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential for several bodily functions. They’re found in foods such as fatty fish, like tuna and salmon, and also sold as dietary supplements. Research has shown that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce joint inflammation and medication use in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), another inflammatory joint condition. Although omega-3s have been well studied for RA, less research has been conducted on their effectiveness for ankylosing spondylitis. “There is some evidence to support the use of omega-3s,” says Grant H. Louie, MD, a rheumatologist based in Maryland. “A small study out of Europe found that these supplements may benefit people with ankylosing spondylitis.” The study, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, involved 18 patients randomly assigned to take either a low dose (1.95 grams) or a high dose (4.55 grams) of fish oil or omega-3s daily. After three months, people on the higher dose had a significant decrease in disease activity compared with the low-dose group. The Swedish researchers noted, however, that larger and better-controlled studies are needed before conclusions should be made about the use of omega-3s to help treat ankylosing spondylitis. Calcium and vitamin D. Calcium is essential for healthy bones, and vitamin D is essential for your body to absorb calcium, making these two nutrients important for people with ankylosing spondylitis. That’s because the condition increases your risk for low bone density, which makes bones fragile and more likely to break. Ankylosing spondylitis can also cause a more brittle spine, which can lead to insufficiency fractures, a type of stress fracture that results from normal stress applied to abnormal bone, according to Rodney Tehrani, MD, professor of allergy, immunology, and rheumatology, and the rheumatology division director at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. “People with ankylosing spondylitis can help maintain their bone health with calcium and vitamin D supplements,” Dr. Tehrani says. In addition, higher levels of vitamin D decreased the risk of developing ankylosing spondylitis and decreased disease activity in people who have the condition, according to a large research review published in January 2015 in Clinica Chimica Acta: International Journal of Clinical Chemistry and Diagnostic Laboratory Medicine. A study published in the September-October 2018 issue of the Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences found that people with ankylosing spondylitis had lower levels of vitamin D compared with controls without the condition and, therefore, supplementation of the vitamin should be considered during a treatment plan.
Supplements for Ankylosing Spondylitis Without Proven Benefits
Some vitamins, minerals, and other supplements touted for ankylosing spondylitis have no science to back them up, although they might be useful for other conditions: Glucosamine and chondroitin. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are naturally found in and around the cells of cartilage. In the United States, they are also sold as dietary supplements, which are regulated as foods, not drugs. Like RA and psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory type of arthritis that causes the body’s immune system to attack the joints. This is different than osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease involving the deterioration of cartilage over time. “Chondroitin and glucosamine have primarily been studied for use in people with degenerative arthritis, or osteoarthritis, and may not work for inflammatory arthritis,” Dr. Louie says. “These supplements would be taken for bone health and cartilage maintenance, but have not been shown to have an effect on people with ankylosing spondylitis.” Devil’s claw. This African herb has been touted as having anti-inflammatory properties. Research has suggested, however, that taking devil’s claw can help reduce the pain and swelling associated with degenerative disease or osteoarthritis, but not inflammatory arthritis such as ankylosing spondylitis.
Other Factors to Consider About Supplements for Spondylitis
Louie speculates that claims about dietary supplements could stem from the placebo effect, meaning that some participants in studies may benefit from supplements simply because they believed they were taking vitamins and minerals that would make them feel better. He also stresses that, because of the lack of controlled studies with conclusive evidence on the benefits of vitamins or minerals for ankylosing spondylitis, supplements shouldn’t be routinely recommended to people with the condition. “Some people come to me already taking a supplement, and others order supplements with outlandish claims online,” he says. “These people often end up seeing no benefits to ankylosing spondylitis from these products.” Before trying a supplement for ankylosing spondylitis, always inform your doctor to avoid potential negative interactions with any other medications you’re taking. “It’s just as important to let your doctor know about any supplements you take as it is to inform him or her about your prescription medications,” Louie says. Additional reporting by Diana Rodriguez and Blake Miller
