Face it, before your doctor announced "ankylosing spondylitis", you'd likely never heard of this particular brand of arthritis that throws a party mainly in the spine. And why would you? It's swathed in myths and misunderstandings. Like that quirky cousin at family reunions, ankylosing spondylitis tends to float under the collective radar.

But hey, have a seat, grab a kale shake, and prepare to have the veil lifted as we debunk some of the most common myths.

Myth No.1: Ankylosing Spondylitis is your friendly neighbour alien from the 5th dimension. In reality, this monster likely lives next door. According to the Spondylitis Association of America (SAA), over 3.2 million people in Uncle Sam's land have spondyloarthritis, an inflammatory condition that attacks the spine, joints, and where ligaments, tendons make bone connections. Ankylosing spondylitis happens to be a subset of this condition. In fact, this shadow dweller is more common than rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis combined. Shocked? Wait. There's more!

Myth No.2: Ankylosing Spondylitis favours men like kale favours smoothies. Well, it turns out the bros are not the chief patrons, women are equally likely to get the party invite. Similarly to other forms of arthritis, women tend to show more widespread pain while men display more back pain. This makes ladies' membership to the ankylosing spondylitis club a longer journey, coupled with a severe case of misdiagnosis.

Another ill-conceived notion is that men bear the brunt of ankylosing spondylitis's wrath. Fact check: The nasty effects are quite evenly distributed between genders.

Myth No.3: Ankylosing Spondylitis is an exclusive backstage ticket for chronic backache sufferers. Surprisingly, due to its ambiguities and commonality of back pain, ankylosing spondylitis can gatecrash other parts of the body and diagnosis may spring up from a completely unrelated issue.

Myth No.4: Ankylosing Spondylitis has a one track mind to only attack the back. Well, surprise! Turns out it's not all about the back. Ankylosing spondylitis can invite its friends over to your shoulders, ribs, hips, knees, feet and even the eyes, creating inflammation across the board.

Myth No.5: The best shield against Ankylosing Spondylitis is a lounge chair and Netflix. Put that remote away! Staying stationary is not your friend here. In contrary to popular belief, backaches resulting from ankylosing spondylitis prefer movement to stagnation. Embrace a solid active schedule and get yourself a consultation with a good physiotherapist.

Myth No.6: Ankylosing Spondylitis and Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) are mortal enemies. Not quite! NSAIDs are actually your go-to guys for ankylosing spondylitis, especially in the early stages. Even though these drugs are infamous for upsetting stomachs, under good doctor's supervision, they can do wonders for your condition.

Myth No.7: Ankylosing Spondylitis is the Croaking Raven of the Fused Spine prophecy. Now, this is a real horror story where scary words like "fused spine" are thrown around. But, trust the good folks working in medicine, ankylosing spondylitis doesn't always lead to a pharaoh-style spine. Adherence to treatment plans including a good exercise schedule and medicating correctly can yield better outcomes.

So folks, remember ankylosing spondylitis might primarily be a dance around the spine, but it's not picky; it affects other parts too. So find a doctor you can confide in, communicate your symptoms honestly, and create an actionable plan that targets the prevention or slowing of disease progression.