| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: Tunisia, healthcare
Exercise groups: 2
Comparison groups: 0 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 107 (E1 = 54, E2 = 53)
Chronic LBP duration: Not specified (long)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: No participants
Mean age (years): 36
Sex (female): 75% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Eighteen exercises: 4 self‐positioning exercises (2 in extension and 2 in flexion); 8 muscle stretching exercises; 4 abdominal and truck strengthening exercises; type = mixed; duration = 4 weeks; dose = high; design = standardised; delivery = independent; additional intervention = none
Exercise Group 2 (E2): Flexibility training, stretching, proprioception exercises and muscle strengthening exercises (as part of standard rehabilitation therapy); type = mixed; duration = 4 weeks; dose = low; design = standardised; delivery = individual; additional intervention = electrotherapy |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Visual Analogue Scale); function (Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 12 weeks (short); 26 weeks (moderate); 52 weeks (long) |
| 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 |
Randomised, prospective clinical trial with two parallel groups |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
High 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 |
Not described |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Unclear risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
High risk |
Not described |
| 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 two groups in terms of epidemiological factors (age, gender, history of spinal surgery, sports) |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Compliance with the home‐based exercise programme was good: 87.8% at the end of the supervised programme (t4) and 88.6% at the M3 consultation. |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
