| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: Brazil, not specified
Exercise groups: 2
Comparison groups: 0 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 10 (E1 = 5, E2 = 5)
Chronic LBP duration: 7.5 months (moderate)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: Some participants
Mean age (years): 46
Sex (female): 100% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Progressive strengthening exercises for abdominal, back, and hip muscles, 3 sets of 10 repetitions; warm‐up on bike (10 minutes); type = core strengthening; duration = 6 weeks; dose = low; design = partially individualised; delivery = individual; additional intervention = not specified
Exercise Group 2 (E2): Stabilisation exercises starting with the dorsal decubitus and progressing to the ventral decubitus, in seated, 4‐support, and standing positions, warm‐up on bike (10 minutes); type = core strengthening; duration = 6 weeks; dose = low; design = partially individualised; delivery = individual; additional intervention = not specified |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Visual Analogue Scale); function (Oswestry Disability Index)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 6 weeks (short) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: Not reported
Funding source: Not reported
Other: SDs imputed |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Randomisation was performed by means of a draw using opaque envelopes containing folded papers that allocated patients. |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Randomisation was performed by means of a draw using opaque envelopes containing folded papers that allocated patients. |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Not described |
| Blinding of care provider (performance bias) |
High risk |
Not described |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
The evaluation protocol was administered one week before the treatment was started and one week after it was terminated by two experienced evaluators. |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
No dropouts |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
Low risk |
No dropouts |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Groups similar at baseline (selection bias) |
High risk |
Patients in Group A presented symptoms of longer duration (a mean of 78 months) than Group B's symptoms (a mean of 7.2 months). |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Not described |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Not described |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
