Table 3.
Clinical characteristics of treatment groups at three months' follow up. Values are numbers (percentages) unless unless stated otherwise
| Clinical characteristic | Intervention group (n=199) | Control group (n=203) | Relative risk (95% CI) or Z score* | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| History of low back pain over past 3 months: | ||||
| Still has pain | 148 (74) | 132 (65) | 1.26 (1.0 to 1.60) | 0.04 |
| Taken time off work | 23 (12) | 33 (16) | 0.73 (0.45 to 1.20) | 0.21 |
| Missing values | 7 | 2 | ||
| Median No of days off work (interquartile range) | 14 (2-35) | 14 (3.5-56) | −0.54 | 0.59 |
| Health and functional status: | ||||
| Median Roland disability score (interquartile range) | 4 (1-8) | 3 (1-7) | −1.93 | 0.05 |
| Median pain score (interquartile range) | 1 (1-2) | 1 (0-2) | −1.90 | 0.06 |
| Median EuroQol score (interquartile range) | 0.80 (0.69-0.88) | 0.80 (0.69-0.91) | −0.92 | 0.36 |
| Missing values | 10 | 13 | ||
| Median health status score (interquartile range) | 75 (60-90) | 80 (70-90) | −2.32 | 0.02 |
| Missing values | 2 | 1 | ||
| Median satisfaction with consultation (interquartile range) | 20 (17-23) | 21 (19-23) | −1.50 | 0.13 |
| Missing values | 6 | 5 | ||
| Had radiography | 168 (84) | 15 (7) | ||
| Would have chosen radiography if choice available | 143 (85) | 175 (89) | 0.96 (0.88 to 1.04) | 0.29 |
| Missing values | 31 | 6 | ||
| Use of health and other services over past 3 months: | ||||
| Hospital admission | 0 | 0 | ||
| Outpatient attendance | 6 (3) | 7 (3) | 0.93 (0.51 to 1.69) | 1.00 |
| Visited doctor | 106 (53) | 60 (30) | 1.62 (1.33 to 1.97) | <0.01 |
| 1 visit to doctor | 83 (42) | 42 (21) | ||
| 2 visits to doctor | 17 (9) | 7 (3) | ||
| ⩾3 visits to doctor | 4 (2) | 11 (5) | ||
| Taken prescribed drug | 63 (32) | 59 (29) | 1.06 (0.86 to 1.31) | 0.57 |
| Taken over the counter drug | 68 (34) | 67 (33) | 1.03 (0.83 to 1.26) | 0.81 |
| Physiotherapy | 67 (34) | 59 (29) | 1.11 (0.91 to 1.37) | 0.32 |
| Osteopathy | 7 (4) | 9 (4) | 0.88 (0.50 to 1.55) | 0.83 |
| Chiropractic | 4 (2) | 6 (3) | 0.84 (0.37 to 1.73) | 0.75 |
| Acupuncture | 3 (2) | 7 (3) | 0.60 (0.23 to 1.55) | 0.34 |
*
Mann-Whitney U test (normal approximation).