| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: Finland, occupational
Exercise groups: 1
Comparison groups: 1 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 54 (E1 = 30, C1 = 24)
Chronic LBP duration: Not specified (not specified)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: No participants
Mean age (years): 40
Sex (female): 35% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Strengthening (machines) with stretching, co‐ordination, David Beck Clinic programme (functional restoration); type = mixed; duration = 12 weeks; dose = high; design = individualised; delivery = group; additional intervention = advice/education & psychological therapy
Comparison Group 1 (C1): Other conservative treatment (physical therapy) |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Visual Analogue Scale); function (Pain Disability Index)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 12 weeks (short); 26 weeks (moderate); 52 weeks (long) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: Device status category: 2
Funding source: Ministry of Education; Academy of Finland; Finnish Work Environmental Fund; The Finnish Medical Society Duodecim; Yrjo Jahnsson; Eemil Aaltonen; Instrumentarium Science Foundations; Kuopio University EVO Fund (496115)
Other: None |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Blinding of care provider (performance bias) |
High risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
High risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Groups similar at baseline (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
