Dancer Alicia Graf Mack’s Ankylosing Spondylitis A diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis took more than a decade, but Alicia Graf Mack kept coming back to dance.

Ankylosing Spondylitis: The Long Hunt for a Right Diagnosis Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a rare type of arthritis in the spine whose main symptom — back pain — is a common, everyday complaint. That’s just one reason why so many people with AS wait years for a correct diagnosis.

What We Learned From Pain of Ankylosing Spondylitis Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a disease that can upend lives. Learn how two people ultimately found a way to forge ahead after their diagnoses.