Bradford is right on the staying active no matter how bad the pain is part. I went through physical therapy earlier this year and the therapist said I had the straightest spine he had seen on an ankylosing spondylitis patient.

I told him there was two reasons for it with the first being, I have always stayed active no matter how bad I was hurting. The second reason was because I always have kept my back straight no matter how bad it hurt.

As most of us know if you bend your back slightly forward when you are hurting a lot the pain will ease up a bit. However if you bend slightly forward to ease the pain it will eventually fuse in that position. I know I am fighting a battle I can not win, but I am not going to give into the pain and let it defeat me leaving me in a stooped position.

Have a great day,
Brent