Padiham Football Club backs award winning physiotherapist's campaign to raise awareness of condition that affects one in 200 people

Yet, 91 per cent of the population have never heard of the condition Axial Spondyloarthritis, known as Axial SpA. Padiham based physiotherapist Gill Lawrence is on a mission to change that.

Currently an advanced clinical practitioner in a GP practice, Gill, who lives in Padiham, has been a champion for the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society for the past two years. And in 2025 she received a bronze change maker award in the Houses of Parliament.

Axial Spondyloarthritis is an inflammatory spine condition with symptoms of gradual onset low back pain and stiffness, improving when moving. Night time waking is also common. Weight loss, especially in the early stages, fatigue or tiredness and feeling feverish and experiencing night sweats are also symptomatic of the condition. It begins in young adults, from late teens or 20s, but is a life long condition. The current delay to diagnosis from when symptoms start is 8.5 years, by which irreversible damage to the spine may have occurred. Only a rheumatologist can make a definite diagnosis of axial SpA, so it’s important to see a GP if you show symptoms.

Part of Gill’s campaign to raise public awareness of what has been described as a ‘silent’ condition, has been through a poster campaign in various venues, encouraging people to present to their physio or GP with these low back pain and stiffness symptoms. And now Padiham Football Club is on board, supporting the 'Act on Axial SpA Campaign.’ This campaign aims to encourage young adults with symptoms to use the patient symptom checker, thus promoting earlier diagnosis and better outcomes. The posters contain a QR Code taking people straight to the symptom checker. Padiham FC have kindly agreed to display posters in their clubhouse.

You can find out more about the condition and how it is treated and managed by going to the NASS website https://nass.co.uk/