Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a form of inflammatory arthritis in the lower back, affecting an estimated one in 200 adults in the UK. There’s no cure, but exercise can be used to help with symptoms and maintain mobility.

A patient’s condition is monitored via a score on the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI), which can currently only be measured by a trained professional such as a physiotherapist. With these appointments at a premium, wouldn’t it be easier if people could accurately take their own BASMI score?

Violet Henderson is addressing this issue in her PhD in Computing, funded by the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust (RUH). She’s developing a smartphone app that will calculate a person’s BASMI score based on measurements taken by a friend or family member using a simple tape measure.

With the app providing guidance and feedback, patients are empowered to better keep on top of their prognosis and the most suitable exercises for their current condition.

Violet explains:

"The project is touching on a lot of things that I find interesting – it’s the human user side of computer science. The research is working towards something very positive, to help people with this chronic condition."