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Tests physiotherapist-led rehabilitation in adults with early-stage spine inflammation

Tests physiotherapist-led rehabilitation in adults with long-term back pain suspected of axial spondyloarthritis.

Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Spondyloarthritis Inception Cohort of Southern Denmark

Key facts

Where
Sønderborg, DenmarkSee the site

AI summary: who the study is looking for

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for adults with low back pain for 3 months to 3 years who may have axial spondyloarthritis. Symptoms must have started at age 45 or younger.

Age
18 to 48 years; back pain must have started at age 45 or younger.
Sex
All sexes can join.
Disease stage
Low back pain with no clear diagnosis, starting at least 3 months and at most 3 years before referral. Also needed: HLA-B27 positive, or eye inflammation (anterior uveitis), psoriasis or inflammatory bowel disease, or scan findings that suggest axSpA.
Earlier treatment
People treated with disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for other conditions cannot join.
Biomarker or test result
HLA-B27 positive is required if the person has no anterior uveitis, psoriasis or inflammatory bowel disease.

Main reasons for not taking part

  • Already diagnosed with spondyloarthritis (SpA)
  • Recurrent episodes of low back pain for more than 3 years
  • Cannot have an MRI scan
  • Pregnancy
  • Cannot understand Danish or give written consent

Read by machine on 12 November 2026.

Could this be for you?

Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.

  • Are you between 18 and 48 years old?

Source: NCT06337513, who can take part

Where in Denmark

  • Danish Hospital for Rheumatic DiseasesSønderborg, DenmarkNo longer taking part

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

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Trial details

Who runs it
The Danish Center for Expertise in Rheumatology
Trial code
NCT06337513
Record updated
22 September 2025
Original description
People with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) experience a diagnostic delay of 6.5 years in men and up to 8.8 years in women. One of the reasons for the diagnostic delay seems to be limited awareness of the disease characteristics in the referring health care professionals in primary care. By raising awareness about the disease, the study aims at reducing the diagnostic delay and improving early treatment. In addition to diagnostic and pharmacological treatment, physical exercise and rehabilitation are recommended in people with axSpA. In Denmark, people with axSpA are only offered free of charge physiotherapy when the disease has progressed to a stage with radiographic changes of the spine even though people in the early stage of axSpA report a similar disease burden.Read full original descriptionShow less

Spondyloarthritis Inception Cohort of Southern Denmark

People with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) experience a diagnostic delay of 6.5 years in men and up to 8.8 years in women. One of the reasons for the diagnostic delay seems to be limited awareness of the disease characteristics in the referring health care professionals in primary care. By raising awareness about the disease, the study aims at reducing the diagnostic delay and improving early treatment. In addition to diagnostic and pharmacological treatment, physical exercise and rehabilitation are recommended in people with axSpA. In Denmark, people with axSpA are only offered free of charge physiotherapy when the disease has progressed to a stage with radiographic changes of the spine even though people in the early stage of axSpA report a similar disease burden.

The overall objective of Spondyloarthritis Inception Cohort of Southern Denmark (SPINCODE) is to set up an axSpA inception cohort among individuals with low back pain ≥ 3 months who are considered to be at risk for axSpA. The investigators aim to learn more about the course of axSpA during the early stage of disease appropriately assess outcomes, including novel imaging techniques and identify predictive outcomes. Moreover, the investigators want to test the effect of an outpatient physiotherapist-coordinated rehabilitation intervention in people suspected of having axSpA.

Inclusion: Age ≥ 18 years; Age at symptom onset ≤ 45 years; Currently diagnosed with undifferentiated lower back pain; Onset of back pain ≥ 3 months ≤ 3 years at referral; Diagnosed with anterior uveitis (AU) and/or psoriasis and/or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) regardless of human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27) status; HLA-B 27 positivity (obligatory in case of absence of AU, psoriasis or IBD); Imaging findings suggestive of axSpA as defined by trained musculoskeletal radiologists, regardless of HLA-B27 status; Patients capable of giving written informed consent.

Exclusion: Treatment with disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for other conditions; Age < 18 years; Age at symptom onset > 45 years; Recurrent episodes of low back pain for >3 years; Incapable of complying with the examination program for physical or mental reasons; Not able to provide written consent; Not able to understand Danish; A priori SpA diagnosis; Contradictions to MRI; Pregnancy.

Patients with low back pain suspected of axSpA will be included based on the following inclusion and exclusion criteria.

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06337513