| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: Italy, occupational
Exercise groups: 1
Comparison groups: 1 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 22 (E1 = 10, C1 = 12)
Chronic LBP duration: Not specified (not specified)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: Not specified
Mean age (years): 47
Sex (female): Not reported |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Exercising in water and general exercises (as part of Back School); type = mixed; duration = 6 weeks; dose = low; design = standardised; delivery = group; additional intervention = none
Comparison Group 1 (C1): Other conservative treatment (back school) |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Visual Analogue Scale); function (Oswestry Disability Index); HRQoL (36‐Item Short Form Survey)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 6 weeks (short); 13 weeks (moderate) |
| 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) |
Unclear risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| 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 |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
High 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) |
High risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| 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. |
| Other bias |
Unclear risk |
Not available: non‐English publication |
