Table 1.
Personal characteristics at baseline of 286 patients allocated to receive physiotherapy and advice for low back pain or advice only. Values are numbers (percentages) unless stated otherwise
| Characteristics | Therapy group (n=144) | Advice only group (n=142) |
|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) age (years) | 41.7 (14.9) | 40.0 (13) |
| Women | 83 (58) | 67 (47) |
| Men | 61 (42) | 75 (53) |
| In employment | 100 (70) | 104 (74) |
| Smoker | 40 (28) | 49 (35) |
| Source of referral: | ||
| General practitioner | 130 (91) | 126 (89) |
| Consultant | 9 (6) | 9 (6) |
| Triage | 4 (3) | 6 (4) |
| Sports clinic | 0 | 1 (1) |
| Duration of back pain episode: | ||
| 6-12 weeks | 32 (23.0) | 35 (25.5) |
| 3-6 months | 35 (25.2) | 31 (22.6) |
| 6-12 months | 23 (16.5) | 22 (16.1) |
| ≥12 months | 49 (35.3) | 49 (35.8) |
| First episode of back pain: | ||
| < 1 year | 27 (20.0) | 26 (19.8) |
| 1-6 years | 51 (37.8) | 54 (41.2) |
| 6-11 years | 26 (19.3) | 25 (19.1) |
| ≥11 years | 31 (23.0) | 26 (19.8) |
| Previous treatment for low back pain | 84 (58.3) | 86 (60.6) |
| Mean (SD) Oswestry disability index score | 21.12 (11.08) | 21.60 (11.00) |
| Mean (SD) Roland and Morris disability questionnaire score | 6.12 (4.39) | 5.91 (4.27) |
| Mean (SD) SF-36 score: | ||
| Physical functioning | 69.3 (19.3) | 68.7 (22.8) |
| Role physical | 43.2 (40.6) | 44.3 (39.8) |
| Bodily pain | 42.7 (18.1) | 44.6 (20.5) |
| General health | 66.6 (19.2) | 68.5 (18.9) |
| Vitality | 52.7 (19.2) | 53.5 (17.6) |
| Social functioning | 73.6 (25.9) | 77.5 (22.4) |
| Role emotional | 72.0 (38.7) | 73.5 (38.4) |
| Mental health | 70.0 (16.5) | 72.8 (16.0) |
| Physical component summary | 49.6 (9.6) | 50.4 (10.4) |
| Mental component summary | 49.4 (9.7) | 50.6 (10.3) |