| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: Italy, healthcare
Exercise groups: 2
Comparison groups: 0 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 43 (E1 = 21, E2 = 22)
Chronic LBP duration: Not specified (not specified)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: Not specified
Mean age (years): Not reported
Sex (female): Not reported |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Pilates CovaTech exercises: sitting, antalgic, stretching, mobilisation and proprioceptivity improvement exercises; type = Pilates & stretching; duration = 4 weeks; dose = low; design = standardised; delivery = group; additional intervention = advice/education
Exercise Group 2 (E2): Extension and strengthening exercises of paravertebral muscles and lower limbs, mobilising exercises for the spine; type = core strengthening & flexibility/mobilising; duration = 4 weeks; dose = low; design = standardised; delivery = group; additional intervention = advice/education |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Visual Analogue Scale); function (Oswestry Disability Index); Global Perceived Health or Recovery (Global Perceived Health or Recovery (overall benefit from treatment (3‐point))
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 4 weeks (short); 12 weeks (short); 26 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) |
High risk |
After undergoing the pretreatment examination, the patients were divided into two groups. |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
High risk |
Not described |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
The patients did not know whether they were in the experimental treatment group or the control group. |
| Blinding of care provider (performance bias) |
High risk |
Assumed not possible |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
The post‐treatment evaluations were performed by a blinded assessor and patients were also blinded. |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Three dropouts, for health or personal reasons. |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
High risk |
Forty patients used in analyses |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Groups similar at baseline (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Groups could be defined as homogeneous. |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Not described |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
High risk |
In total, 45% of the Back School group and 28% of the Pilates group had done their exercises. |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Same for both groups |
