| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: Turkey, healthcare
Exercise groups: 2
Comparison groups: 0 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 48 (E1 = 24, E2 = 24)
Chronic LBP duration: Not specified (moderate)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: No participants
Mean age (years): 50
Sex (female): 100% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Core stabilisation exercises: stabilisation exercises for the multifidus and transversus abdominis muscles (30 minutes), warm‐up (5 minutes), stretching (5 minutes), cool down (5 minutes); type = core strengthening; duration = 6 weeks; dose = low; design = standardised; delivery = group; additional intervention = none
Exercise Group 2 (E2): Conventional exercise: lumbar isometric and lumbar flexion‐extension exercises, 1 set of 20 repetitions daily; type = flexibility/mobilising; duration = 6 weeks; dose = low; design = standardised; delivery = independent with follow‐up; additional intervention = none |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Visual Analogue Scale); function (Roland‐Morris Disability Questionnaire); HRQoL (36‐Item Short Form Survey)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 13 weeks (moderate) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: None to declare
Funding source: No funding received
Other: Information modified for author contact, SDs imputed |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Computer‐generated table of numbers |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Not described |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Assumed not possible |
| Blinding of care provider (performance bias) |
High risk |
Assumed not possible |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
All of the patients completed the programme, and none of the patients had radicular pain. |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
Low risk |
All of the participants were included in the statistical analysis. |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Groups similar at baseline (selection bias) |
Low risk |
At baseline evaluation, the groups were determined to be homogeneous for patient characteristics and clinical measurements (except 36‐Item Short Form Health Survey phydimension) |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Low risk |
Patients instructed not to take non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs or any analgesic during the intervention period |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
Low risk |
Two subjects in the core‐stabilization exercise group and three subjects in the home‐based conventional exercise group missed some of the exercise sessions. |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
