Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a form of arthritis that mainly affects the spine, is a chronic condition that can’t be cured—but it can be managed, says Terence Starz, M.D., clinical professor of medicine and occupational therapy in the division of rheumatology and clinical immunology at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pittsburgh, PA. So, don’t settle for just surviving, he urges—not when thriving is in within reach. Still, it can be hard to know where to start when you’re first faced with such an overwhelming diagnosis, even as you’re trying to manage chronic pain and other challenging symptoms. Here, Dr. Starz offers his top five tips for how to stay strong and take control of your AS: