ENCINO, Calif. —  This September, for Pain Awareness Month, the Spondylitis Association of America (SAA) launched “The Pain Behind the Delay,” a national health awareness campaign to highlight the often-overlooked human cost of delayed diagnosis for people living with spondyloarthritis (SpA).

Spondyloarthritis is a family of rheumatic diseases that can cause chronic inflammatory back pain, joint stiffness, fatigue, and other lifelong symptoms. Despite impacting more than 3.2 million Americans and having a prevalence greater than Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) combined, recognizing and diagnosing SpA remains challenging. The 7–10-year delay to diagnosis remains high due to a lack of awareness among the public and even some frontline health providers, and symptoms can often mirror other conditions. This leaves a vast number of undiagnosed individuals spending years searching for answers about the cause of their symptoms and pain.

“For the undiagnosed, the delay isn’t simply a number on a timeline. It’s years of living with pain, uncertainty, unanswered questions, and the disruption of everyday life,” said SAA CEO Cassie Shafer.

“The Pain Behind the Delay” campaign aims to make these experiences visible and help patients, healthcare providers, and policymakers understand why earlier diagnosis matters. Throughout September, SAA will share patient stories, educational content, videos, and resources across its digital and social media channels. The campaign is community driven and encourages people to learn about the signs and symptoms of SpA, listen to those experiencing persistent pain, and help spread awareness of the importance of timely diagnosis.

To help shorten the wait, SAA encourages anyone interested in learning more about the disease and participating in “The Pain Behind the Delay” campaign to visit https://spondylitis.org