Interview by Paul Salfen
Imagine Dragon’s Dan Reynold’s is the face of A MONSTER PAIN IN THE AS Campaign
Dan Reynolds and Dr. Hillary Norton, Rheumatologist, both manage a medical condition called AS, short for AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS. AxSpA is an inflammatory arthritis of the spine that is made up of two underdiagnosed conditions: non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). What causes the inflammation is unknown, but when inflammation occurs within the spinal joints and vertebrae, it causes chronic lower back pain, stiffness, fatigue, and reduced mobility. If left untreated, axSpA can cause irreversible damage, and in some cases, fusion of spinal joints and vertebrae.
It’s important to know that axSpA also affects men and women differently. AS is more likely to affect men, whereas nr-axSpA is more likely to affect women. Men with AS are more likely to experience symptoms in the back and spine, whereas women with AS are more likely to experience pain in the hips, neck, and knees. But that doesn’t mean men won’t develop nr-axSpA and women won’t develop AS. They do. And living with it can be a monster pain.
They’re trying to spread the word about diagnosis and treatment of the condition, as it sometimes improperly diagnosed. Paul Salfen talks to both of them about the disease, and a bit about Imagine Dragon’s next release.
