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Can taekwondo kicks ease ankylosing spondylitis?

NCT ID NCT06823726

Symptom relief Sponsor: Wonju Severance Christian Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 18, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026

Summary

Researchers are testing whether a 12-week Taekwondo training program can help adults with ankylosing spondylitis and axial spondyloarthritis. The trial enrolls 21 adults aged 19 to 59 who have stable treatment or no medication for at least three months. Participants join either a Taekwondo group or a control group that continues usual care for 12 weeks, then the control group also receives the training. The study measures changes in disease activity, physical function, and quality of life, and tracks safety.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
a 12-week structured Taekwondo training program
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a structured martial arts exercise option for people with axial spondyloarthritis, and it could inform larger studies of exercise for musculoskeletal conditions.
What could go wrong
This is a small, single-center study of 21 people, so results may not apply broadly. Taekwondo involves kicks and twisting movements that could aggravate back or joint pain in some participants.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

21 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Feb 2025

Finished

Sep 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

19 to 59 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Diagnosed with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) according to the ASAS classification criteria. 2. Age: Between 19 and 59 years old. 3. Stable medication or non-medication treatment: * Patients whose medication regimen has remained stable for at least the past 3 months. * Patients who have not taken medication for axSpA for at least the past 3 months. Exclusion Criteria: Participants will be excluded from the study if they meet any of the following conditions: 1. History of orthopedic surgery or fractures within the past 12 months. 2. History of cardiovascular diseases, including ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, or stroke. 3. Advanced ankylosis in ankylosing spondylitis, as confirmed by radiographic or CT imaging: \- Complete ankylosis of at least two regions of the cervical, lumbar, or thoracic spine (i.e., continuous syndesmophyte formation or complete ossification between vertebral bodies). 4. Presence of other musculoskeletal abnormalities or conditions that may limit exercise performance. 5. Diagnosis of cancer within the past 5 years 6. Pregnancy 7. Regular exercise participation within the past 6 months (defined as exercising for at least 60 minutes per session, three or more times per week). 8. Major changes in medication for axial spondyloarthritis during the study period, including: 1. Initiation or discontinuation of biologic agents or targeted therapies. 2. Significant changes in the continued use of NSAIDs or sulfasalazine. 3. Significant changes in the continued use of systemic glucocorticoids.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

ankylosing spondylitis Axial Spondyloarthritis spondyloarthropathy

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Ankylosing spondylitis Axial spondyloarthritis

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Wonju Severance Christian Hospital

    Wŏnju, Gangwon-do, 26426, South Korea

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