Table 3.

Overview of the key messages, educational themes and performance objectives for the person with low back pain and the exercise components of the GLA:D Back intervention. The Table is constructed from the literature and consensus discussions about the content of the intervention

Key Messages	Educational theme/activity	Self-Management
		Performance objectives
A healthy back requires a balance between demands and capacity	Behavioural pain control	The person with back pain achieves an increased sense of control and an ability to manage everyday life through being able to reduce demands and increase capacity, through:  ● insights into social, physical and mental factors affecting pain  ● reducing monotonous loads by varied motion  ● increased physical capacity
Pain = Alarm Pain ≠ Harm The brain can turn pain up and down	Pain mechanisms Exercise	The person with back pain achieves increased understanding of pain and reduced fear and concerns through:  ● knowledge about pain mechanisms  ● knowledge about how thoughts, fear and beliefs influence the pain experience  ● knowledge that pain can be influenced by distraction, exercise and physical activity  ● positive non-fearful experience with movement and exercise
Bad posture and deformations of the spine are common	Imaging Structural pain sources	The person with back pain has fewer structural beliefs from understanding that spinal curves, posture and imaging findings relate poorly to pain through:  ● knowledge about common findings on MRI and their lack of association with back pain  ● knowledge that there is a wide variation in the appearance of healthy and strong spines
Action comes before improvement Natural movements inhibit pain Exercise strengthens the back	Treatment	The person with back pain achieves improved expectation through:  ● understanding that engaging in physical activity and work is part of the cure, rather than something to wait for until cured  ● experiencing that movement reduces pain  ● enhanced awareness of muscle function and perceptions of bodily control
The back is made for movement The back is strong	Exercises Physical activity	The person with back pain obtains physical skills with variation in movement through:  ● positive experiences with movement  ● exploring variation in movement  ● knowledge about how exercises improve back capacity and decrease pain