| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: England, mixed
Exercise groups: 1
Comparison groups: 2 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 302 (E1 = 84, C1 = 40, C2 = 89)
Chronic LBP duration: 11.72 years (long)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: Some participants
Mean age (years): 30
Sex (female): 78% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Functionally progressive exercises for selective retraining of transversus abdominis, multifidus, pelvic floor, and diaphragm muscles with biofeedback; type = core strengthening; duration = 10 weeks; dose = low; design = individualised; delivery = group; additional intervention = electrotherapy & back school
Comparison Group 1 (C1): Other conservative treatment (manual therapy)
Comparison Group 2 (C2): Other conservative treatment (back school) |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Numeric Rating Scale); function (Oswestry Disability Index); HRQoL (Nottingham Health profile)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 12 weeks (short); 26 weeks (moderate); 52 weeks (long) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: Not reported
Funding source: Professional Organizational Funds
Other: Information modified for author contact |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Patients were randomly allocated to one of the groups using a stratification procedure. |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Author contact: researcher and managing physio knew treatment group but not research assistant nor treating physio. |
| 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 |
Unclear risk |
Author contact: Research assistant was blinded and researcher too; care was taken to document this process. |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Of subjects, 10% were lost to follow‐up between the three and 12‐month stage, and 50% between the 12 and 24‐month stage (Figure 2). |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
High risk |
The study population was defined as subjects remaining from baseline data collection up until and including the 12‐month stage. |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Groups similar at baseline (selection bias) |
Low risk |
The study population was defined as subjects remaining from baseline data collection up until and including the 12‐month stage. |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Low risk |
Author contact: all patients had access to National Health Service and public physio. |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
High risk |
Patient attendance differed among the three groups. |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
