| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: Turkey, healthcare
Exercise groups: 2
Comparison groups: 0 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 63 (E1 = 31, E2 = 32)
Chronic LBP duration: 20.4 months (moderate)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: No participants
Mean age (years): 40
Sex (female): 84% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Muscle endurance training with 4 levels of stability exercises, 300 repetitions held for 10 seconds with regular rest; type = core strengthening; duration = 6 weeks; dose = high; design = standardised; delivery = not specified; additional intervention = advice/education & heat/ice
Exercise Group 2 (E2): Stretching and strengthening of abdominal, back and gluteal muscles (described as classical strengthening exercises); type = strengthening & stretching; duration = 6 weeks; dose = high; design = standardised; delivery = not specified; additional intervention = advice/education & heat/ice |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Visual Analogue Scale); function (Oswestry Disability Index)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 6 weeks (short) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: None to declare
Funding source: No funding received
Other: Information modified for author contact |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Author contact: block randomisation by computer‐generated random number list |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Cards in unmarked envelopes |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
The patients were blind to the intervention. |
| Blinding of care provider (performance bias) |
High risk |
Assumed not possible |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Author contact: 'assessor blinded'; self‐report with author report that patients were blinded to 'good' intervention |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Fourteen (of 77) patients withdrew because they were not able to complete the treatment programme. |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
High risk |
Only the 63 who completed were shown. |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Groups similar at baseline (selection bias) |
Low risk |
There was no significant difference between the two groups. |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Author contact: medications were allowed, advised no other treatment or exercises |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Author contact: not assessed formally (but observed compliance) |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
