July is Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month

The Pain Behind the Delay

Don’t Let Back Pain Become a Decade Without Answers.

For undiagnosed spondyloarthritis patients, the pain isn’t just the symptoms you experience. It’s the years spent living with unexplained pain, searching for answers, being dismissed, and waiting for a diagnosis. For too many people, the journey to diagnosis takes years. And every year has a story. It takes an average of 7–10 years from the first symptoms to an accurate diagnosis. That’s time lost, pain endured, and damage done — but it doesn’t have to be this way.

Each September, Pain Awareness Month shines a light on the millions of Americans living with chronic pain—an often invisible and misunderstood challenge. Among them are more than 3.2 million people affected by spondyloarthritis (SpA).

Despite its prevalence, SpA is frequently underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed, leaving many to endure symptoms such as persistent back pain, stiffness, and fatigue for years without answers.

To raise awareness and change this trend, SAA’s “See the Signs. Stop the Delay.” national campaign focuses on helping people recognize the early warning signs of SpA and encourage timely referrals to rheumatologists. Early detection and treatment are key to slowing disease progression and improving quality of life.

Help Raise Awareness

Use our sample graphics and social media posts or create your own and share on your social media accounts. Please use the tag #painawarenessmonth and tag SAA (@spondylitis) in your posts.