| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: Norway, occupational
Exercise groups: 2
Comparison groups: 0 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 49 (E1 = 22, E2 = 27)
Chronic LBP duration: 13 weeks (moderate)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: No participants
Mean age (years): 40
Sex (female): 47% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Strengthening, stretching, mobilising, co‐ordination, stabilising exercises for abdominal, back, and pelvic muscles and lower limbs using equipment; type = mixed; duration = 8 weeks; dose = low; design = individualised; delivery = individual; additional intervention = not specified
Exercise Group 2 (E2): Stretching exercises; type = stretching; duration = 8 weeks; dose = low; design = individualised; delivery = independent; additional intervention = manual therapy & anti‐inflammatory/analgesics |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Visual Analogue Scale); function (Oswestry Disability Index); work (self‐reported return to work)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 8 weeks (short); 26 weeks (moderate); 52 weeks (long) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: None to declare
Funding source: Foundation for Education and Research In Physiotherapy, Norway
Other: None |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Pre‐sealed envelopes provided by external research corporation |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Evaluating two common physiotherapy treatments |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Blinding of care provider (performance bias) |
High risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Self‐report, except range of motion, which was blinded |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Two/27 in manual therapy group, 1/22 in exercise therapy group 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 |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Low risk |
Yes, during study period but not controlled in follow‐up period |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
