When you’re living with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a chronic inflammatory form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine, sitting at a desk all day can make symptoms like joint pain worse—and therefore make it hard to do your job. In fact, according to a recent study presented at the American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals Annual Meeting, nearly three-fourths of people with AS have difficulty standing or sitting for long hours at work, and nearly half miss work due to their condition. “Chronic pain is exacerbated by working in sedentary postures or awkward postures, or doing work activities that are highly repetitive,” explains Nikki Weiner, O.T.D., a licensed occupational therapist and certified ergonomic specialist in Pittsburgh, PA. If your work requires fixed postures and the same movements over and over (hello, typing), it may worsen your AS symptoms. Plus, she says, computer workstations aren’t naturally set up in the best way for our bodies—so making adjustments is a must when you have a chronic condition like AS.