# New Disease of the Day: Ankylosing Spondylitis **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 20, 2013, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407 "2013-03-20T01:16:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/41 "2015-03-03T19:15:28Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > It would be difficult for any drug company to profit from this pseudo-ailment, seeing as [a CDC-sponsored study has debunked it](http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2012/01/26/morgellons_disease_the_cdc_study_that_debunks_the_skin_ailment_.html). My homeopathic medication cured my Morgellons right up. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/42 "2015-03-03T19:28:13Z")
“ **e** ffecting a limp” Thought you’d want to know… ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/43 "2015-03-03T20:14:03Z")
> [@tapu](#): > > “ **e** ffecting a limp” > > Thought you’d want to know… Why would the OP want to know how to use the wrong word? ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/44 "2015-03-03T20:25:49Z")
See literary sources: [https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1ASUT\_enUS525US525&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=%22effected+a+limp%22](https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1ASUT_enUS525US525&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=%22effected+a+limp%22) ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/45 "2015-03-03T20:43:48Z")
Look at it this way: “affecting a limp” would mean that someone is changing the limp of someone else. Like, you added a riser to the shoe for a short leg and now the person is limping less. But “effecting a limp” means pretending to have one. An actor playing Richard the III (I think that’s right) must effect a limp to capture that aspect of the character. Not a jury in the world would convict someone who says “affect a limp” when the mean “effect.” Even when you google it, 1/2 the examples have it wrong! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/46 "2015-03-03T20:50:45Z")
> [@tapu](#): > > See literary sources: > [https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1ASUT\_enUS525US525&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=%22effected+a+limp%22](https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1ASUT_enUS525US525&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=%22effected+a+limp%22) > [@tapu](#): > > Look at it this way: “affecting a limp” would mean that someone is changing the limp of someone else. Like, you added a riser to the shoe for a short leg and now the person is limping less. > > But “effecting a limp” means pretending to have one. An actor playing Richard the III (I think that’s right) must effect a limp to capture that aspect of the character. > > Not a jury in the world would convict someone who says “affect a limp” when the mean “effect.” Even when you google it, 1/2 the examples have it wrong! 🙂 Ironically, [the second result in your search](https://books.google.com/books?id=6evABAAAQBAJ&pg=PT16&lpg=PT16&dq=%22effected+a+limp%22&source=bl&ots=ZhCMz8nqL3&sig=8HaafdbJzL0qb1PszrJcWZ2oifA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Uh72VP6hJYKxyATI9ILYAw&ved=0CCQQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false) is a grammar guide that shows the right word to use. Affecting = pretending. Effecting = causing to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/47 "2015-03-03T20:51:46Z")
[Affect](https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=Affected) ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/48 "2015-03-03T21:07:25Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Not even a little bit. Surprised, that is. People are teh dumb. > > (Not much better is blaming his mom for not taking folic acid. But I’m sure he’s heard that too.) Worse yet, his mom heard it. Gee, grinding Appalachian poverty + abusive family traditions = bad baby outcome. Who knew? She really _was_ starving and malnourished at the time, I’m not sure if they didn’t have foodstamp/WIC type programs at the time or if she/her family simply hadn’t heard of them at the time or they were too proud to accept charity or what. Not a topic of discussion I really wanted to bring up. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/49 "2015-03-03T21:08:38Z")
References can be cited for either. This happens when a language makes a change. Soon, the usages of _affect/effect_ will be further conflated, and thank god, really, because who needs the aggravation? ~ tapu ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/50 "2015-03-03T21:09:32Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Oh, fuck, I had forgotten about Restless Leg Syndrome. I used to have it now and then before it had a name and found that the cure was _getting some fucking exercise._ Really? I thought that was the symptom… ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/51 "2015-03-03T21:10:12Z")
> [@OneCentStamp](#): > > Ironically, [the second result in your search](https://books.google.com/books?id=6evABAAAQBAJ&pg=PT16&lpg=PT16&dq=%22effected+a+limp%22&source=bl&ots=ZhCMz8nqL3&sig=8HaafdbJzL0qb1PszrJcWZ2oifA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Uh72VP6hJYKxyATI9ILYAw&ved=0CCQQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false) is a grammar guide that shows the right word to use. > > Affecting = pretending. > Effecting = causing to happen. See how either would work? That’s cool. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/52 "2015-03-03T21:17:16Z")
RE: second result in my search That’s one of the online references that is wrong. You can tell if you read the “tips” below for how each word is used as a verb. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/53 "2015-03-03T21:42:36Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Worse yet, his mom heard it. > > Gee, grinding Appalachian poverty + abusive family traditions = bad baby outcome. Who knew? She really _was_ starving and malnourished at the time, I’m not sure if they didn’t have foodstamp/WIC type programs at the time or if she/her family simply hadn’t heard of them at the time or they were too proud to accept charity or what. Not a topic of discussion I really wanted to bring up. Ugh. Unless your husband is a very young man, they can just fuck right off. Recommendations for folic acid during pregnancy didn’t come out until the 1990s. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![\_ies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/bbe5ce/32.png) [@\_ies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_ies)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/54 "2015-03-03T22:01:06Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Which is now much more likely to happen because you bumped a thread that no one had seen in two years. > > Nicely done. > [@Lightray](#): > > I swear, that “fighting ignorance since…” tagline is like bait for people to come in and post ignorance accusing the Straight Dope of ignorance. > > Not knowing of anyone who self-diagnosed with the disease du jour does not mean it does not occur. And the existence of people who self-diagnose with _your_ diagnosed disease du jour does not mean that you have not been diagnosed with the actual disease. > > Therefore, people complaining about self-diagnosis does not affect your own diagnosis. There: ignorance fought. Miller, I came across the post via a search engine this morning (not 2years ago.) Although, I suppose me bumping the thread will cause more people lurking the forums to see it. Nevertheless, anyone doing a google search could potentially come across it. I can only assume a moderator like yourself would prevent this by doing your job instead of not following the forums one guiding principle. Lightray, I accused the OP of ignorance in his post on this one specific subject not the entirety of the Straight Dope. My apologies if that wasn’t clear. Ankylosing spondylitis is nothing new [Ankylosing spondylitis - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankylosing_spondylitis#History) and it’s not an overly diagnosed disease. The only way to be diagnosed is with MRI (or xrays if the disease has progressed.) It’s not some bullshit over-diagnosed condition like ADD or asperger’s. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/55 "2015-03-03T22:07:02Z")
> [@\_ies](#): > > Miller, I came across the post via a search engine this morning (not 2years ago.) Although, I suppose me bumping the thread will cause more people lurking the forums to see it. Nevertheless, anyone doing a google search could potentially come across it. I can only assume a moderator like yourself would prevent this by doing your job instead of not following the forums one guiding principle. > > Lightray, I accused the OP of ignorance in his post on this one specific subject not the entirety of the Straight Dope. My apologies if that wasn’t clear. > > Ankylosing spondylitis is nothing new [Ankylosing spondylitis - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankylosing_spondylitis#History) > and it’s not an overly diagnosed disease. The only way to be diagnosed is with MRI (or xrays if the disease has progressed.) It’s not some bullshit over-diagnosed condition like ADD or asperger’s. Do you understand what “self-diagnosis” means? ---
**Author:** ![\_ies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/bbe5ce/32.png) [@\_ies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_ies)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/56 "2015-03-03T22:16:14Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Do you understand what “self-diagnosis” means? It’s when people diagnose themselves instead of a doctor. Often times after reading about something on wikipedia or webmd. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/57 "2015-03-03T22:19:20Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Ugh. Unless your husband is a very young man, they can just fuck right off. Recommendations for folic acid during pregnancy didn’t come out until the 1990s. :mad: Correct. My spouse dates from the 1950’s when they hadn’t a clue what caused that particular defect. It doesn’t stop busy-bodies from commenting, though. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/58 "2015-03-03T22:22:13Z")
> [@\_ies](#): > > It’s when people diagnose themselves instead of a doctor. Often times after reading about something on wikipedia or webmd. Good. Now go back and re-read the first post in this thread a little more carefully, because that’s what he was referring to. This thread is mostly about people that self-diagnose with whatever diseases and/or ailments pop up in the popular media. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/59 "2015-03-03T22:29:18Z")
> [@\_ies](#): > > Miller, I came across the post via a search engine this morning (not 2years ago.) Although, I suppose me bumping the thread will cause more people lurking the forums to see it. Nevertheless, anyone doing a google search could potentially come across it. I can only assume a moderator like yourself would prevent this by doing your job instead of not following the forums one guiding principle. I’m not sure what you think my job here entails, but I’d be absolutely _fascinated_ to find out. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407/60 "2015-03-03T22:29:42Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Oh, fuck, I had forgotten about Restless Leg Syndrome. I used to have it now and then before it had a name and found that the cure was _getting some fucking exercise._ I’m a scientist, and one of my best friends (also a scientist) suffers from type I diabetes and Restless Leg Syndrome. He has told me that on a day to day basis, the latter is the disease that is much more detrimental to his life. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-disease-of-the-day-ankylosing-spondylitis/653407.md?page=4)