12+ guides · peer to peer · not medical advice

The guides

Sorted by what’s useful when. If you’re not sure where to start, the newly diagnosed set is probably the right one.

Newly Diagnosed

1 guide

Getting to a diagnosis, and what comes after.

What to expect in your first year with AS

“Getting diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis brings relief and terror at the same time. Here is what I wish someone had told me about the first twelve months — the emotions, the practical reality, and what actually helps.”

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Treatment & Medication

1 guide

Biologics, DMARDs, NSAIDs - what I have tried and what worked.

Treatment & Medication

Understanding your treatment options: from NSAIDs to biologics

“The AS treatment ladder explained plainly — what NSAIDs actually do, when biologics are considered, how to know if your treatment is working, and how to navigate the insurance fights that often come with it.”

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Exercise & Movement

1 guide

What helps, what hurts, what I wish I had started sooner.

Exercise & Movement

Exercise when everything hurts: what actually helps with AS

“In most pain conditions, rest is the answer. In AS, rest makes things worse. Here is the counterintuitive truth about movement and AS, what the evidence supports, and how to actually do it when you are in pain.”

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Diet & Natural Remedies

1 guide

No miracle foods. A few things that seem to matter.

Diet & Natural Remedies

Diet and AS: what the research actually shows

“Diet is the most-discussed non-medication topic in AS communities. The gut-AS connection is real and scientifically grounded. Here is what the evidence shows, what patients report, and how to approach dietary changes without false hope or cynicism.”

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Mental Health

1 guide

The bit nobody wants to talk about.

Mental Health

The mental weight of AS: depression, anxiety, and what helps

“More than one in three people with AS experience depression or anxiety. This is not weakness or overreaction — there is a biological reason for it. Here is what the research shows and what actually helps.”

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Work & Employment

1 guide

Telling your employer, taking sick days, managing flares.

Work & Employment

Working with AS: your rights, accommodations, and when to speak up

“One in four people with AS is forced to stop working because of the disease. Many more are managing poorly in jobs that do not accommodate them. Here is what you are entitled to, how to have the conversation, and when disclosure makes sense.”

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Women & AS

1 guide

The gender gap in AS diagnosis and what women need to know.

Women & AS

Women and AS: why it takes 11 years to get diagnosed

“Women wait an average of 11.2 years for an AS diagnosis — more than double the time men wait. This is not bad luck. It is a systemic failure with specific, identifiable mechanisms. Here is why it happens and what women can do about it.”

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Young People

1 guide

When AS hits in your 20s and 30s - career, identity, social life.

Young People

Diagnosed in your 20s: identity, career, and AS

“Getting diagnosed with a chronic condition in your twenties is different from getting diagnosed at fifty. Your identity is still forming. Your career is just starting. Your social world revolves around things your body may struggle with. This is for you.”

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Relationships & Intimacy

1 guide

Partners, kids, friends - the invisible illness problem.

Relationships & Intimacy

Explaining AS to people who can't see it

“AS is an invisible illness. You often look completely fine while feeling terrible. Explaining that gap — to partners, family, friends, colleagues — is one of the harder ongoing tasks of living with this disease.”

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Pregnancy & Fertility

1 guide

What I have picked up from women in the AS community.

Pregnancy & Fertility

AS and pregnancy: what you need to know before, during, and after

“Planning a pregnancy with AS requires more advance preparation than most people realise — some medications need to stop months before conceiving. Here is the practical guide to AS and pregnancy, covering what to expect before, during, and after.”

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Daily Life

1 guide

Morning stiffness, sleep, travel, and everything in between.

Daily Life

Living with AS fatigue: why you're not just tired

“AS fatigue is one of the most debilitating symptoms and one of the least understood. It is not tiredness — it is a direct symptom of systemic inflammation. Here is what it is, why it happens, and what helps.”

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Navigating the System

1 guide

Getting the right specialist, fighting for medication, understanding your rights.

Navigating the System

How to get your GP to take your back pain seriously

“Most AS patients spent years being told their pain was not serious before getting a correct diagnosis. This guide is about how to break through that — what to say, what to ask for, and how to escalate when you are not being heard.”

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