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. 2020 Apr 5;9(4):1023. doi: 10.3390/jcm9041023

Table 3.

GRADE evidence profile.

Certainty Assessment № of Patients Effect Certainty Comments
№ of Studies Study Design Risk of Bias Inconsistency Indirectness Imprecision Other Considerations Physical Activity NO Intervention Absolute
(95% C.I.)
Disability RCTs (assessed with: ODI; Scale from: 0% to 100%)
2 [33,35] randomized trials not serious serious not serious serious none 52 46 MD 1.24%
lower (1.94 lower to 0.54 lower),
(p = 0.0005 *)
⊕⊕◯◯
LOW
PA group shows a lower ODI mean value after treatment. It represents a possible positive influence of PA in improving disability
Disability RCTs (assessed with: SF-36; Scale from: 0 to 100)
2 [31,32] randomised trials not serious serious not serious serious none 77 67 MD 2.88 point higher
(−3.30 lower to 9.6 higher),
(p = 0.36)
⊕⊕◯◯
LOW
PA group shows a higher SF-36 mean value after treatment. It represents a possible positive influence of PA in improving disability
Pain RCT (assessed with: NRS; Scale from: 0 to 10)
1 [36] randomized trials not serious not serious not serious serious none 35 17 MD 1.73 points lower
(3.11 lower to 0.35 lower),
(p = 0.01 *)
⊕⊕⊕◯
MODERATE
PA group shows a lower mean NRS after treatment. It represents a possible positive influence of PA in improving pain
Pain NRCT (assessed with: Global Rating Change; Scale from: 1 to 10)
1 [34] observational studies serious not serious not serious serious none 238 154 MD 1 points lower
(1.53 lower to 0.47 lower),
(p < 0.001 *)
⊕⊕◯◯
LOW
PA group shows a lower mean pain value after treatment. It represents a possible positive influence of PA in improving pain

C.I.: confidence interval; MD: mean difference; *: statistically significant; NRCT: non-randomized controlled trials; RCT: randomized controlled trials; PA: physical activity; SF-36: 36-Item Short Form Health Survey; ODI: Oswestry Disability Index; NRS: Numerical pain rating scale.