| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: Saudi Arabia, healthcare
Exercise groups: 2
Comparison groups: 1 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 72 (E1 = 28, E2 = 24, C1 = 20)
Chronic LBP duration: 13.9 months (moderate)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: Not specified
Mean age (years): 33
Sex (female): 0% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Exercises for strengthening, stretching, mobilising, co‐ordinating, and stabilising abdominal, back, and pelvic muscles; type = core strengthening; duration = 4 weeks; dose = high; design = individualised; delivery = individual; additional intervention = electrotherapy
Exercise Group 2 (E2): Exercises for strengthening, stretching, mobilising, co‐ordinating, and stabilising abdominal, back, and pelvic muscles; type = mixed; duration = 4 weeks; dose = high; design = individualised; delivery = individual; additional intervention = placebo
Comparison Group 1 (C1): Other conservative treatment (electrotherapy) |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Visual Analogue Scale); function (Roland‐Morris Disability Questionnaire)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 4 weeks (short); 12 weeks (short) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: None to declare
Funding source: Not reported
Other: None |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Participants were assigned a specific ID# and randomised using a GraphPad programme. |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Not described |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Patients did not know which group they were assigned to or which treatment they would be offered. |
| Blinding of care provider (performance bias) |
High risk |
Single‐blinded only |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
Unclear risk |
Not described |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
No dropouts |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Groups similar at baseline (selection bias) |
Low risk |
There were no significant differences between the three treatment groups at baseline. |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Not described |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
Low risk |
Family members were responsible to record when the study participant performed the home exercises and all reported no deficiencies. |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
