Mr. Liao called to ask: At the beginning of this year, I was found to be positive for HLA-B27 in my unit’s physical examination, and the doctor diagnosed me with ankylosing spondylitis. What should I do for functional exercise? Answer: Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of rheumatic disease whose main lesion is an inflammatory lesion of the sacroiliac and spinal joints, which eventually leads to joint fusion, making the spine stick-like and straight and losing its proper physiological function. Therefore, maintaining the physiological function of the joints is an important goal in the treatment of this disease. In the treatment process, most patients attach great importance to medication, but lack of awareness in functional exercise, which neglects functional exercise and affects the therapeutic effect. In fact, functional exercise of the spine is also an important adjunctive therapy to maintain the physiological function of the spine. As some patients omit exercise to reduce back pain, it often leads to premature spinal fusion. The specific method of functional spinal exercise for patients with ankylosing spondylitis is to do forward, backward, left, and right bending of the spine with hands stuck in a standing position. The range of motion also includes the neck. In addition, patients can perform lumbar rotation activities and 90-degree outward leg lifts. These movements are performed for 20 minutes each day in the morning and evening and basically give a better workout to the spinal joints and sacroiliac hip joints, allowing these joints with inflammation to reduce adhesions and prevent bone bridge formation and joint fusion in the spinal joints. It is worth noting that the spine should not be forced to exercise after stiffening. If the spine is improperly stressed it can lead to injuries such as broken spinal bridges and even spinal fractures.