Comparison of Deep Tissue Massage and Therapeutic Massage for Lower Back Pain, Disease Activity, and Functional Capacity of Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients: A Randomized Clinical Pilot Study

Table 1

Criteria for inclusion and exclusion.

Inclusion in the study

Exclusion from the study

Diagnosis of AS; Age range: 20–60 years; Informed consent for participation in the study, signed by the patient

Change in dosage of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids for 2 weeks before the beginning of the study and for the duration of the study; Change in dosage of the disease-modifying synthetic and biologics antirheumatic drugs for 3 months before the beginning of the study and for the duration of the study; Injection of a local anesthetic, steroids for 1 months before the beginning of the study and for the duration of the study; Surgery, recently, in the past 6 months; Neurological signs present; Cancer; Discitis; Disk disease; Fracture of vertebra; Infectious cause of back pain; Scoliosis, severe, or progressive; Spinal stenosis; Spondylolisthesis; Fever