| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT (ISRCTN30511490)
Setting: USA, mixed
Exercise groups: 1
Comparison groups: 1 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 88 (E1 = 28, C1 = 60)
Chronic LBP duration: 181.8 months (long)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: Not specified
Mean age (years): 56
Sex (female): 34% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Directional preference exercises, lumbar stabilisation, general flexibility and specific training exercises; type = mixed; duration = 4 weeks; dose = low; design = partially individualised; delivery = individual; additional intervention = none
Comparison Group 1 (C1): Other conservative treatment (manual therapy) |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Visual Analogue Scale); function (Oswestry Disability Index)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 5 weeks (short); 12 weeks (short); 24 weeks (moderate) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: None to declare
Funding source: Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Service Administration Chiropractic Demonstration grant (Award: R18HP07641‐03‐03, Grant: R18HP07641)
Other: Information modified for author contact |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Randomisation to treatments was through a random number producing algorithm. |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Attempt to control for expectation of treatment |
| Blinding of care provider (performance bias) |
Low risk |
The screening clinician, statistician, and the treating clinician were all blinded to the status of the modified clinical prediction rules. |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Attempt to control for expectation of treatment |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Dropout reasons given and are acceptable |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
Low risk |
With multiple imputation, using SPSS missing values module |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Groups similar at baseline (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Anything that differed was included as a covariate in the analysis. |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Low risk |
Participants agreed not to undergo any new or different treatment during the intervention and follow‐up, but they were allowed to continue medications. |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
Low risk |
Author contact: compliance similar in both groups |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
