| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT (NCT01362049)
Setting: USA, healthcare
Exercise groups: 2
Comparison groups: 0 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 101 (E1 = 25, E2 = 76)
Chronic LBP duration: Not specified (long)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: Not specified
Mean age (years): 42
Sex (female): 51% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Spinal stability exercise: motor control of the deep trunk muscles; strengthening of the flexor, extensor, and oblique trunk muscles; "standard" physiotherapy exercises; home exercise log; type = core strengthening; duration = 6 weeks; dose = high; design = standardised; delivery = individual; additional intervention = advice/education & other & physiotherapy
Exercise Group 2 (E2): Movement System Impairment: specific trunk movements and postures focussed on pain‐free and functional activity Oswestry Disability Indexification, "standard" physiotherapy exercises, home exercise log; type = other (not specified); duration = 6 weeks; dose = high; design = standardised; delivery = individual; additional intervention = advice/education & other & physiotherapy |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Numeric Rating Scale); function (Oswestry Disability Index); HRQoL (36‐Item Short Form Survey)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 7 weeks (short); 52 weeks (long) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: None to declare
Funding source: National Institutes of Health (NIH/NCMRR/R01HD040909
Other: Information modified for author contact; SDs imputed |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
The statistician used computer‐generated randomisation with centralised allocation concealment to randomise subjects. |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Low risk |
The statistician used computer‐generated randomisation with centralised allocation concealment to randomise subjects. |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Physical therapy clinicians who provided the treatment and the subjects were masked to strata assignment but not to treatment. |
| Blinding of care provider (performance bias) |
High risk |
Physical therapy clinicians who provided the treatment and the subjects were masked to strata assignment but not to treatment. |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Physical therapy clinicians who provided the treatment and the subjects were masked to strata assignment but not to treatment. |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
Low risk |
Author contact: the primary analysis was an intention‐to‐treat analysis. |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Groups similar at baseline (selection bias) |
Low risk |
There were no differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups. |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Low risk |
Author contact: changed to yes |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
Low risk |
Author contact: changed to yes |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
