| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: Germany, mixed
Exercise groups: 2
Comparison groups: 0 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 23 (E1 = 10, E2 = 13)
Chronic LBP duration: Not specified (not specified)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: No participants
Mean age (years): 51
Sex (female): 52% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Therapeutic climbing on gym climbing wall with a focus on strengthening, stretching, mobilisation, co‐ordination and stabilisation of abdominal, back, pelvic, and leg muscles; type = mixed; duration = 4 weeks; dose = low; design = partially individualised; delivery = individual; additional intervention = none
Exercise Group 2 (E2): Strengthening, stretching, mobilisation, co‐ordination, and stabilisation for abdominal, back, pelvic, and lower limb muscles; type = mixed; duration = 4 weeks; dose = low; design = standardised; delivery = group; additional intervention = none |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (36‐Item Short Form Survey); function (Hannover Functional Ability Questionnaire); HRQoL (36‐Item Short Form Survey)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 4 weeks (short) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: None to declare
Funding source: No funding received
Other: None |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Participants were randomly assigned to the therapeutic climbing or the standard exercise training by means of a computer‐generated randomisation schedule. |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Numbered envelopes were prepared by a physical therapist not involved in the study and assigned to patients in a sequential order. |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Patients did not know which intervention was being evaluated. |
| Blinding of care provider (performance bias) |
High risk |
Not described |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
Unclear risk |
Not described |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Patients who did not attend more than 30% of treatment sessions were excluded from subsequent data analysis. Overall, five patients were excluded. |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
High risk |
Data analysis was based on 23 patients, 10 from the therapeutic climbing group and 13 from the standard exercise group. |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Groups similar at baseline (selection bias) |
Low risk |
No significant differences in sex and age were noted between treatment groups. |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Participants of both groups were free to do unspecific exercise, such as walking, in their free time. |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
Low risk |
Patients who did not attend more than 30% of treatment sessions were excluded from subsequent data analysis. |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
