Hey !
I experienced this. I got diagnosed with JRA when I was younger. At this time I was experiencing high levels of pain and inflammation in almost all of my joints, but as I got older and many years of them keeping tabs on where I was getting damage (my spine), they diagnosed me with AS.
This was a long time ago, so as Doreen said there are tests that can be done but know that you are not alone in this experience!
I hope you find some answers and if you ever need to feel free to reach out 😀
Wishing you the best,
Sarah (community advocate)