Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group How long did it take you to fuse ?

No fusing. Despite no longer tolerating TNF's and having pretty consistant inflammation xrays look normal. I attribute it to daily yoga. Move it or fuse it!!!

A lot of folks here have little or no fusion, that's encouraging!

My SI joins showed lost mobility in my youth. I could never do the twist or make a hulla hoop work on my hips. I still have movement at my age. My pace has gone from 3'2" down to about 2'4". Good Luck, I went on a Low Starch diet 12 years ago after finding this site I think that has helped.

interestingly I lost ability to touch my toes when I was young. like early teens. I blamed bad chiro for it. And considering the AS I figure it contributed. I could also NEVER do a proper Back ARch or summer sault. Everyone always told me to curve my back. but it always flatened out when I bent forward or backwards.
But nothing Showing as FUSED.
my husband who is nicknamed "Doughboy" Big round frozen chicken white, can put his palms on the floor. ! and I am "the skinny one" in our family. always been one of those odities that now makes sense.

Since when do you have AS?

Are you a longtime sufferer?

Other question:

Are there a lot of folks here that have had loss of ROM for many years, in neck or other, without having ever fused?

As folks said everyone is different. For some odd reason my AS manifested at 12 or 13 and my left hip was fully fused by 16. Back took two decades but by 32 pretty much fused there.

My Mom has AS too she had horrible back pains in her 20's 50 years later still not fused. BOne density issues but active and unfused

the bone spurs in my neck certainly cut down on ROM.

I have loss of ROM, especially left-right, without any fusion or evidence of damage on x-rays. Neck curve is pretty straight now but that's all. Loss of ROM occured fast about 3 years ago and has been the same ever since. I stretch my neck multiple times a day.

I'm scared as hell about my c-spine fusing! I can manage with the ROM I have now but more loss would be very depressing.

Do I stand a chance of keeping some ROM at least for a few years?

I know you never know, but I wish I could speak to someone who lost ROM in his 20's but remained stable and un-fused.

I started to fuse in my lower back at the age of 28-32, then remission for a long time. When it came out of remission, it rushed in like a roaring lion. Just a few months ago, after my last M.R.I.s, I have 20% left of my neck left to fuse but I feel it tightening up daily now. I move it and still fuse it but it helps, I think with the pain and lessens my migraines. Thoracic is well under way and I have a lot of rib involvement, feet and wrists are getting really stiff. I wish they had TNF blockers a long time ago. It is hard and sometimes scary but I am thankful for the people here who have helped me so much with knowledge ahead of time.