Table 1.

Studies Involving Exercise Treatment for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis.

Study	Population Examined; Main Inclusion Criteria	Method of Group Assignment	Experimental Group Description	Control Group Description	Main Outcome Measures	PEDro Score
Pua et al16	68 patients; ≥50 years old, history of LBP, BMI <38 kg/m2, evidence of LSS on MRI, no mental impairments, no LSS surgery, no neoplastic conditions, no severe osteoporosis, no vascular or pulmonary disease	Random assignment	Treadmill with body weight support + exercise program	Cycling + exercise program	ODI, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, 100-mm VAS, Patient Perceived Benefit	8/10
Goren et al15	54 patients; MRI-proven LSS, back and/or leg pain, standing or walking pain, over 18 years old, symptoms lasting over 3 months, neurogenic claudication within 15 minutes on treadmill	Random assignment	Ultrasound + exercise/sham ultrasound + exercise	No exercise + no ultrasound	Pain, disability, functional capacity, consumption of analgesic, ODI, Wilcoxon’s rank test and disability index	7/10
Koc et al29	33 patients; diagnosed with LSS, no heart disease, no past spinal surgery, no vertebral fracture, no progressive neurologic deficit, no cauda equine	Random assignment	Physical therapy treatment/epidural steroid injections	No treatment	FFD, treadmill walk test, sit-to-stand test, weight carrying test, Roland-Morris Disability Index, Nottingham Health Profile	6/10
Whitman et al21	58 patients; LSS diagnosis, pain in lumbopelvic region and lower extremities, over 50 years old, patient rating of sitting being more comfortable than standing or walking, no previous LSS surgery, no artery disease	Random assignment	Manual physical therapy treatment, body-supported treadmill walking, exercise	Lumbar flexion exercises, treadmill walking program, subtherapeutic ultrasound	Global rating of change scale, ODI, Numerical Pain Rating Scale, Satisfaction Pain Rating Scale, treadmill test	8/10
Sculco et al27	34 patients; 25-65 years old, not involved in exercise routine, good health, no medical or psychological issues that could affect aerobic exercise, willing to follow exercise intervention, no acute low back pain, no surgical intervention for LBP in the last 6 months	Matched stratified	Aerobic exercise	No exercise	Profile of Mood States, Brief Pain Inventory, medical office visits for pain/symptoms, physical therapy treatment referrals, prescription of pain medication, work status	2/10

Abbreviations: LBP, low back pain; BMI, body mass index; LSS, lumbar spinal stenosis; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; ODI, Oswestry Disability Index; VAS, Visual Analog Scale; FFD, Finger Floor Distance.