Walking Football for Axial Spondyloarthritis

NCT07414823 | Active Not Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: PHU-2025/33359266
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 12
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a long-term inflammatory condition affecting the spine. Patients with this condition can have pain and stiffness in their back and neck. NICE Guidelines recommend that these patients should follow a structured exercise programme with additional hydrotherapy, to maintain mobility and flexibility, so as to improve quality of life. While there is limited hydrotherapy provided in Portsmouth to approximately 40 axSpA patients via the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society (NASS), there is no bespoke structured exercise programme for over 400 axSpA patients under the care of the Rheumatology Department, other than exercise advice which patients are asked to follow in their own time. We propose twice-weekly Walking Football sessions for our axSpA patients as a structured exercise programme. Walking Football is an inclusive sport, with proven health benefits to other patient groups. Unlike traditional football, walking football is a non-contact sport; players are not allowed to run or jump, and the ball must stay below head height. In this way, people with some mobility impairment or mild frailty can still play. In addition to getting regular physical exercise, twice-weekly sessions would provide training in a sporting skill, as well as give opportunities to connect with other players socially, providing mental health benefits. We have a number of axSpA patients who are keen to try Walking Football as part of their axSpA management, but there is a lack of evidence on the safety and effectiveness of this. We thus plan to undertake a 12-week pragmatic feasibility study to gather this evidence.

Conditions

Axial Spondyloarthritis

Keywords

Feasibility study; Walking Football; Non pharmacological management of MSK condition; Axial Spondyloarthritis

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Clinical measurement and standardised disease burden questionnaires

  Clinical assessments including biometric data, MASES and BASMI scores, 6-minute walk test, sit-to-stand test, and injury surveillance reporting. Participant self-reported disease outcome and quality of life questionnaires including ASQoL, AS-WIS, HADS, BASFI, BASDAI, BAS-G, VAS, WASTEd and loneliness scale. All of the above clinical assessments, tests, as well as qualitative results will combine to determine whether Walking Football is/isn't a safe and beneficial form of exercise for axSpA patients.

  12 weeks

Study Arms (1)

Feasibility study

EXPERIMENTAL

Twice-weekly hourlong walking football sessions

Other: Walking Football

Interventions

Walking Football OTHER

Walking football is a non-contact 5- to 7-a-side game, lower-impact on joints than standard football as no running or jumping is permitted.

Also known as: Weight-bearing aerobic exercise

Feasibility study

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Has a formal diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis, as stated in existing clinical documents
• Able to walk independently without walking aids (note: there will be no upper age limit)
• Good understanding of spoken and written English

You may not qualify if:

• Under 18 years of age
• Significant disability affecting ability to play walking football
• Inability to commit to at least 18 of the 24 planned sessions of walking football
• Already a regular participant in local walking football sessions

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust: lead
• Portsmouth in the Community: collaborator
• NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Wessex: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Portsmouth, United Kingdom

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Axial Spondyloarthritis

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Spondylarthropathies; Spondylarthritis; Spondylitis; Spinal Diseases; Bone Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Ankylosis; Joint Diseases; Arthritis

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER GOV
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Pragmatic feasibility study for 10-14 participants with diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis. 12-week programme of twice-weekly hourlong Walking Football sessions, with best-practice warm-up and cool-down exercises for injury prevention. Clinical assessment and standardised AS questionnaires at baseline, 6 weeks and 12 weeks. Goal is to assess safety and efficacy of Walking Football as part of management for AS.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 16, 2025
• First Posted: February 17, 2026
• Study Start: October 20, 2025
• Primary Completion: March 15, 2026
• Study Completion: May 1, 2026
• Last Updated: May 6, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Locations

GB (1)