AS / axSpA community map

Use communities as a complement to medical care, not a replacement.

Patient organizations
- Spondylitis Association of America: education, support groups, exercise and advocacy resources
- NASS (UK): axial spondyloarthritis education, exercise, and community resources
- Canadian Spondyloarthritis Association: Canada-focused support and patient resources
- Arthritis Society Canada: workplace, disability, and medication-access information
- CreakyJoints / Global Healthy Living Foundation: patient advocacy, research, and patient stories

Forums and peer spaces
- Reddit r/ankylosingspondylitis: active, candid, diverse
- KickAS: long-running archive, especially diet discussions
- HealthUnlocked: UK-centered patient-to-patient advice
- Facebook groups: choose well-moderated groups with clear misinformation rules

How to use communities well
- Bring ideas to clinicians as questions.
- Watch for survivorship bias: success stories are louder than quiet non-responders.
- Be careful with strict diet, supplement, and medication claims.
- Share specifics: what helped, what did not, what context mattered.

The best communities give language, companionship, and questions. They should never pressure you away from safe care.