Walking by phone: new study tests arthritis pain relief without the gym
NCT ID NCT05289544
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested a phone-based version of the Walk With Ease program for 267 adults with arthritis, gout, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or lupus. Participants followed a 6-week walking program delivered by phone, and researchers measured changes in pain, physical function, and mobility at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year. The goal was to see if a remote delivery model could help people manage arthritis symptoms without needing to attend in-person classes.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Phone-based Walk With Ease program (behavioral intervention)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a convenient, phone-based way for people with arthritis to manage pain and improve mobility without needing to attend in-person classes.
- What could go wrong
- This is a completed study with 267 participants, but it only tested short-term effects and may not apply to all types of arthritis or people outside the Columbia, SC area. Results may not lead to a widely adopted program.
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
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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
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267 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Apr 2022
- Finished
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Sep 2024
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * told by a doctor or other health professional that you have some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, fibromyalgia * able to read and write in English * plan to live in the Columbia, SC region for next year * willing to be randomized to either group * complete all baseline measure Exclusion Criteria: * contraindications to exercise (besides arthritis) * are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant in the next year * have a serious cognitive impairment
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina, 29208, United States
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