painintheas.com

What It Is

Pain in the AS is a patient experience and education platform founded by a New Zealander who has lived with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) for 20 years. It fills an information gap that clinical medical content leaves out, helping ordinary patients build a clear understanding of what life with AS is actually like. The platform was created specifically to give peer-to-peer guidance for people newly diagnosed with AS who are still feeling lost and overwhelmed. All content is written by the founder himself, and it is clearly stated that the content does not constitute medical advice and cannot replace guidance from a licensed medical professional.

Core Features & Pricing

The platform's core features fall into three main categories:

1. A 2-minute self-assessment quiz for AS symptoms, which helps people who suspect they may have AS organize their symptoms and prepare talking points for their doctor's appointment — no diagnostic claims are made.
2. Themed experience guides that cover all aspects of daily life with AS, including adjusting to a new diagnosis, treatment, exercise, work, intimate relationships, family planning, and more.
3. A curated frequently asked questions section, plus a free option to subscribe to a bi-weekly email newsletter with new patient experiences.

All basic content on the platform is permanently free, with only a small amount of premium content behind a paywall. Pricing is completely transparent, and there is never any forced payment.

Pros, Cons & Who It's For

Pros: Content is extremely aligned with the real, everyday pain points of people living with AS, addresses dozens of small life details that standard medical resources never cover, basic content is 100% free with very low access barriers, and the scope and limitations of the content are very clearly outlined.
Cons: Content is based solely on the founder's personal experience, so it does not carry general medical authority. It also has no Chinese-language version and is not adapted to China's healthcare system, so its reference value is limited for Chinese users.
This site is a great resource for people who suspect they have AS and are preparing for a doctor's appointment, people who have just received an AS diagnosis and are feeling lost, and anyone with AS who wants to reference how other patients manage life with the condition.

Accessibility from China

The site is currently directly accessible in China without any proxy tools. However, the entire site is in English, so Chinese readers will need to use translation tools to access the content.