I was diagnosed with AS in 1985, and read Mr. Cousins book in the late 1980s. His "cure" is bunk. In the late 90's, I created a website dedicated to making people with AS laugh, so I do appreciate the power of laughter to heal. Laughter, however, is not a cure for a serious disease, it is a coping mechanism. Every doctor I have spoken to, says Cousins didn't even have AS. The disease is not, as Cousins wrote, "Fatal", most people with AS live and learn to manage their disease. In fact, most of the websites dedicated to Cousins have backed away from saying he had AS; they now state he had some kind of "autoimmune" disease, and yet, articles like this one keep popping up.

Laughter can do wonderous things, but it is not a substitute for credible medical treatment. Mr. Cousins did a horrible dis-service to people who struggle with the effects of AS. He told the world a lie, and almost 40 years later, that lie is still being repeated by articles such as this one.

As someone living with Ankylosing Spondylitis for almost 20 years I find the whole notion that AS can be "cured" with laughter to be extremely offensive.

Yes laughter truly can be transformational, can be a force for good and can help us to cope in the darkest of times but to claim that AS can be "cured" by laughter I find offensive in the extreme not to mention the fact I believe it fosters and encourages ignorance of our disease.

Given that the general public is already hugely unaware of AS this is most unwelcome. AS is as prevalent as Multiple Sclerosis yet the majority of people haven't heard of Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Offensive and innacurate portrayals of the disease by those with a high profile damage accurate awareness of what can be an extremely debilitating and complex disease.

For those wanting more information I suggest they look at the Spondylitis Association of America website where you fill find in-depth information and discussion on Ankylosing Spondylits in the forum.

The medical profession believes he had Reactive Arthritis, a terrible arthritis but not fatal and not a chronic, lifetime illness. Ankylosing Spondylitis is very serious and not cured by laughter. We already suffer because friends and relatives don't understand, we don't need this misinformation (wrong disease) perpetrated.

Obviously his spine was not fused from the real disease because de-fusing would be a miracle.

If you understand what Ankylosing Spondylitis is, does this even make sense?? Did the writer do any research into what AS is, how it's treated and it's effect on everyday life??

I laugh, enjoy old movies and watching the Three Stooges. I still have AS. It isn't fatal, and never has been described as such to me. I deal with moderate to severe pain every day of my life. Laughter may make the heart merry, but it doesn't end physical pain.

Thanks for making my struggle amusing and trivial. One cute article for you, one huge step back for people with AS.

Well, I will say that this article made me laugh quite a bit...at the author. Laughed so hard my hips and back hurt. Oh dang, I guess that means I still have A.S. My wife will be very sad to learn that A.S. is fatal. That was news to me as well.

I to have AS. As a whole, I enjoyed your article. I am a firm believer in laughter being the best medicine. However, it does not cure the common cold and it does not cure AS. We, especially the women with AS, have a very hard time getting Doctors to take us seriously. Your article will only make it harder and could have been written just as well without any reference to Mr. Cousins or our disease. We are always trying to find a way to inform others about AS. The hope is to someday be able to say "I have AS" and not watch eyes glaze over. We want to be able to say it and have them go "Oh Yeah, I've heard of that" and have them realize it is a serious disease. As serious as RA and MS as well as others. With articles like yours the comment will be "You just need to laugh more and you will be fine." and then they will proceed to be healed by laughter themselves. Hopefully you can now take the time to research our disease. Help us with our cause and undo some of the damage.

I am very disappointed that a reputable newspaper would propagate such nonsense. Did the article's author do any research on Anklyosing Spondylitis? You have just made it harder for people who have this crippling disease to be taken seriously! According to Mr. Cousins, the visible damage to my spine and extremely high levels of inflammation that show up on my blood work, would all be cured with laughter? I have been described as always having a smile on my face. A happy, upbeat, person. I suffer from Anklyosing Spondylitis. Neither of the two very reputable rheumatoligists I've been to have prescribed laughter!

Do us all a favor. Please research this disease and print "The rest of the story". People who live with this terrible disease deserve more respect than your article gave them.

I too have AS. Here in France we also had that kind of misinformation. You may find plenty of articles describing the condition as 'fatal' just to spice it up...On the other hand we had a famous writer here claiming ha had AS and kept the disease under control with...lemon juice! We do not need that kind of misinformation: AS is no spectacular, fatal disease but it does make a hard living and requires serious treatment. So please now learn about the disease and your next article might be both accurate and helpful. Thanks!

And so the myth continues, encouraged by another author who can't be bothered to check any facts about AS. Ironically, I, too, had to laugh along with my fellow AS survivors.

Laughter is WONDERFUL, and no one with AS would get through life without it! But AS is incurable, Cousins did NOT have it, and the vast majority of real AS patients are sorely misunderstood by the medical profession, let alone their family, friends and co-workers.

Speaking for myself, I have lived in moderate to severe pain every day for 40 years now, since the age of seven. There is attendant bone damage, inflammation, tendon and ligament damage/inflammation, lung damage, other organ involvement, eye problems, etc. AS has affected all aspects of my life: the most recent casualty is my job. I am now out of work due to AS, after working since the age of eleven.

Most patients have a huge list of symptoms and also multiple ways AS has affected their lives. While we certainly need laughter, AS itself is no laughing matter.

AS patients are by-and-large survivors, carrying on despite the AS, perhaps TO SPITE the AS.

This was a very interesting article, but like so many, we are not really aware of all the ramifications involved. We need to be more informed before casually suggesting the 'laughter therapy' It's like telling someone with severe depression to just smile and get hold of yourself. In other words you really don't have a problem. Acknowleging that there is a preblem will help people more than anything.

One thing everyone does know is that the worst thing for AS is to lay in bed in fact it's intolerable even when sick or hospitalized. So I don't see how N. Cousins could have done this for a month if he truly had AS. Daily laughter helps but if that were all it took this disease and its many ramifications would have been cured years ago. Though I would love it for the dr to write a script for a 30 day leave of absence from work to watch funny movies.

If I lay in bed for 5 minutes I can't get up again without help or turning my body over gradually shimmying out the bed. I then have to slowly stretch and try to walk. If I laid in bed for a month I swear I'd turn to stone so no, he certainly didn't suffer from what I have...AS.

I love to laugh and do it every day but but so far my pain is getting worse, not better.

What an irresponsible article you have written for a sufferer of any disease. It's akin to saying that anyone losing the battle with a disease didn't laugh hard enough. I think you should write an apology or at least an addendum to your article containing a few more facts. AS is not a laughing matter...pardon the pun.