Axial SpondyloarthritisKICK START ASNCT07414823
Walking Football for Axial Spondyloarthritis
A study testing Walking Football in people with Axial Spondyloarthritis, run by Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial 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… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Axial Spondyloarthritis
- What is being tested?
- Walking Football
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 12 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 20 Oct 2025to 18 Mar 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 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
Who cannot join
- 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
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United Kingdom1 site
Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust
Portsmouth
About this study
Official title: Walking Football and Axial Spondyloarthritis: Assessing Feasibility, Safety and Patient Reported Outcomes
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.
Read more
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.
Read the detailed description
NICE guidelines recommend structured exercise programme as the non-pharmacological management of Axial Spondyloarthritis (axSpA), with hydrotherapy to be considered as adjunctive therapy. While limited hydrotherapy is provided at our hospital via the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society (NASS) for some of our patients, there is a gap in the provision of structured exercise programme for axSpA patients in our community. We propose to offer Walking Football to fill this gap.
Walking Football is an inclusive sport, accommodating those with mild mobility impairments, as no jumping or running is allowed, and the ball in play is not permitted to exceed players' head-height. It could be an ideal form of exercise for axSpA patients, whose treatment goal is to maintain mobility in order to maximise quality of life. While the hydrotherapy currently offered helps to maintain joint flexibility and range of movement, Walking Football provides weight-bearing exercise which is key to maintaining bone health. Furthermore, the proposed Walking Football sessions will be led by exercise and football coaches, building on recent findings (van Wissen et al, 2024) that longstanding supervised exercise therapy was more effective in axSpA patients than usual care.
We have a group of axSpA patients who are interested in using Walking Football as part of their axSpA management, but there is a lack of literature on the safety and effectiveness of this. We thus plan to design and undertake a pragmatic feasibility study.
OBJECTIVES:
- To assess safety of Walking Football in players with axSpA
- To assess objective as well as patient-reported outcomes of a Walking Football intervention, including disease burden measures
- To assess feasibility of providing Walking Football in our community
- To maximise Patient and Public Involvement (PPI), gather information to inform a larger pilot/RCT
PLANNED OUTPUTS:
- Quantitative results showing effects of Walking Football on axSpA patients
- Qualitative results showing effects of Walking Football on patients' quality of life, and patient feedback on the intervention
- Academic publication, presentation at professional conference
IMPLEMENTATION:
Pompey in the Community (PitC), the charitable arm of Portsmouth Football Club, has agreed to run a 12-week programme of Walking Football at a local stadium, for up to 20 of our axSpA patients. This will be twice-weekly hour-long sessions, to be led by experienced exercise and football coaches. We intend to run clinical assessments (including MASES and BASMI) as well as self-reported disease burden surveys (including ASQoL, AS-WIS, HADS, BASFI, BASDAI, BAS-G, VAS, WASTEd scores) of each participant prior to, at the mid-point and after the end of this intervention.
Using our team's connection with axSpA patients via NASS and our Physiotherapy service, we will involve patients and relevant members of the community in PPI activities, to facilitate the qualitative elements of our research, including patient interviews and focus groups.
- Conditions
- Axial Spondyloarthritis
- Being tested
- Walking Football
- Keywords
- Feasibility study, Walking Football, Non pharmacological management of MSK condition, Axial Spondyloarthritis
- Medical subject headings
- Axial Spondyloarthritis
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Walking FootballOther
Also called Weight-bearing aerobic exercise
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.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Feasibility study | Experimental | Twice-weekly hourlong walking football sessions Receives: Other: Walking Football |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
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.
Measured: 12 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted17 Feb 2026
- Study start20 Oct 2025
- Primary completion15 Mar 2026
- Study completion18 Mar 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Axial SpondyloarthritisStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- 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.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 12 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
- Sponsor type
- Other government
- Collaborators
- Portsmouth in the Community, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Wessex
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07414823
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- PHU-2025/33
- Other IDs
- 359266
- Acronym
- KICK START AS
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 16 Dec 2025
- Last updated
- 15 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 15 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Walking Football and Axial Spondyloarthritis: Assessing Feasibility, Safety and Patient Reported Outcomes
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07414823
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- KICK START AS / PHU-2025/33
- Conditions
- Axial Spondyloarthritis
- Keywords
- Feasibility study, Walking Football, Non pharmacological management of MSK condition, Axial Spondyloarthritis
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 12 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Portsmouth Hospitals NHS TrustOther government
- Collaborators
- Portsmouth in the Community, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Wessex
- Study start
- 20 Oct 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 15 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 18 Mar 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 17 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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.
Detailed description
NICE guidelines recommend structured exercise programme as the non-pharmacological management of Axial Spondyloarthritis (axSpA), with hydrotherapy to be considered as adjunctive therapy. While limited hydrotherapy is provided at our hospital via the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society (NASS) for some of our patients, there is a gap in the provision of structured exercise programme for axSpA patients in our community. We propose to offer Walking Football to fill this gap.
Walking Football is an inclusive sport, accommodating those with mild mobility impairments, as no jumping or running is allowed, and the ball in play is not permitted to exceed players' head-height. It could be an ideal form of exercise for axSpA patients, whose treatment goal is to maintain mobility in order to maximise quality of life. While the hydrotherapy currently offered helps to maintain joint flexibility and range of movement, Walking Football provides weight-bearing exercise which is key to maintaining bone health. Furthermore, the proposed Walking Football sessions will be led by exercise and football coaches, building on recent findings (van Wissen et al, 2024) that longstanding supervised exercise therapy was more effective in axSpA patients than usual care.
We have a group of axSpA patients who are interested in using Walking Football as part of their axSpA management, but there is a lack of literature on the safety and effectiveness of this. We thus plan to design and undertake a pragmatic feasibility study.
OBJECTIVES:
- To assess safety of Walking Football in players with axSpA
- To assess objective as well as patient-reported outcomes of a Walking Football intervention, including disease burden measures
- To assess feasibility of providing Walking Football in our community
- To maximise Patient and Public Involvement (PPI), gather information to inform a larger pilot/RCT
PLANNED OUTPUTS:
- Quantitative results showing effects of Walking Football on axSpA patients
- Qualitative results showing effects of Walking Football on patients' quality of life, and patient feedback on the intervention
- Academic publication, presentation at professional conference
IMPLEMENTATION:
Pompey in the Community (PitC), the charitable arm of Portsmouth Football Club, has agreed to run a 12-week programme of Walking Football at a local stadium, for up to 20 of our axSpA patients. This will be twice-weekly hour-long sessions, to be led by experienced exercise and football coaches. We intend to run clinical assessments (including MASES and BASMI) as well as self-reported disease burden surveys (including ASQoL, AS-WIS, HADS, BASFI, BASDAI, BAS-G, VAS, WASTEd scores) of each participant prior to, at the mid-point and after the end of this intervention.
Using our team's connection with axSpA patients via NASS and our Physiotherapy service, we will involve patients and relevant members of the community in PPI activities, to facilitate the qualitative elements of our research, including patient interviews and focus groups.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- 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.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Feasibility study | Experimental | Other: Walking FootballTwice-weekly hourlong walking football sessions |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- 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
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- 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
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Walking FootballAlso: Weight-bearing aerobic exerciseWalking 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. | Other | Feasibility study |
Primary outcome
Clinical measurement and standardised disease burden questionnaires
Time frame: 12 weeks
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.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 15 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Walking Football in people with Axial Spondyloarthritis, run by Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust at 1 site in United Kingdom.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 15 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Clinical measurement and standardised disease burden questionnaires (time frame: 12 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 15 Sep 2026.