Living

Insomnia, or the inability to get to sleep or stay asleep, affects millions of people worldwide. For many, chronic pain is a significant contributor to their insomnia. When you're in...

My planning and organization skills have always left a lot to be desired. I often find myself going on holiday with zero plans on what I am going to do...

When I was 18, I was only one year into my university degree and nowhere near knowing what I wanted to “do with the rest of my life.” I was...

I’ve been on biologic drugs for my ankylosing spondylitis for 6 years now. I’ve been on 4, actually. Inflectra (infusion), Humira (injection), Cosentyx (injection), and Remicade (infusion). Now that I’ve...

We recently moved into a new community. We've been in our new home for over a year now. Through healing, there's an urge to connect with family, friends, and with...

I’ve been receiving care from a chronic pain clinic, and a few months ago they offered me acupuncture. I had a telephone consultation with the acupuncture service to check I...

I got a reminder this summer about how effective my biologic is at keeping my flares at bay. To give a bit of context to this story, I have been...

I spent about half a year thinking I was experiencing a recurrent, terrible axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) flare-up only to learn that I had, in fact, a spinal fracture (spondylolysis). The...

I was informed I had a gene mutation a few months ago that could contribute to more severe health complications down the line. After speaking with my healthcare team, we...

I'm in another flare (again). How long will this one last? The days have passed so fast. I forget again what normal feels like. My days are high in pain...

They say “Life is a marathon, not a sprint.” The meaning is that we shouldn’t get hung up on the little events we experience. Life goes on for a long...

Over the years I’ve visited a number of different health professionals to help me manage my axial spondyloarthritis. Some have not proven helpful for me personally (both chiropractic and osteopathic...

For those grappling with Axial Spondyloarthritis (axSpA), moments with family can quickly become challenging encounters that leave us frustrated and misunderstood. I vividly recall a recent holiday visit with my...

I got my breast reduction surgery in early July of this year. It was my first surgery and I got through it. Add it to my list of accomplishments--I'm so...

The perfect solution does not exist. But, please keep reading. Every morning I wake up not having any idea what kind of day I am going to have. Sure, I...

Seven years ago, my already chaotic, 18-year-old world was rocked. Amidst a blur of final exams, breakdowns and breakups, my back and hips caught fire, or at least that’s how...

As I sat in that sterile conference room, awaiting confirmation from my genetic counselor, I couldn't help but feel detached from the situation. The alphabet soup of diagnoses I had...

Three years before my diagnosis, while I was playing college tennis, I was having a lot of gut and joint issues. That’s when I first looked at changing my diet...

Editor's note: This article discusses suicide and mental health issues.Dave Courtney lived a truly fascinating life. Growing up in a similar area of South London as myself, Dave made a name...

Changing my diet has been a game-changer for me in reducing the painful inflammatory symptoms of axial spondyloarthritis. Ten years ago I began learning as much as I could about...